family tree
by ashlovesCM
Summary: Emily learnt from an early age her mother never had time to be just that: a mother. As Emily grew older she learnt that her mother's main reason for this was that she was adopted and hated her own mother for it. For a long time Emily was okay with not knowing her grandmother but when Reid offers to help her find out about her family how can she say no?
1. reid's discovery

Emily idly stroked Sergio as she lay out on her couch with him on her stomach. "We need to do something, Serg" She whispered into his fur as she planted a kiss on his head. He looked up with his bright yellow eyes and quietly meowed. She awkwardly took her phone out of her back pocket while trying not to disturb the cat and searched through her contacts.

"What about JJ?" He asked the little black cat who stared idly back at her. "I think she said she was taking Henry to the zoo…" She answered herself and looked further down her contact list. "I could call Reid? He's never doing anything" She said and gave a little smile. She nodded slightly and hit call then pressed the phone to her ear.

"Reid here" He answered in the same familiar tone Emily was used to.

"Hey, Reid" She said with the little smile growing uncontrollably.

"Is everything ok?" Reid asked as he slightly sat up in his armchair. He hadn't bothered checking the caller ID and it wasn't usual for him to be called by one of the team, especially on a Saturday at midmorning.

"Yeah, I'm just really bored…" Emily answered as casually as she could "Do you wanna do something, maybe?" She asked while trying to hide her nerves, she always took rejection badly and she knew if it was from Reid it would be ten times as bad.

"Um… yeah, sure. Do you have anything in mind?" He asked, he too was trying his best to hide his nervousness but he was sure she'd be able to tell.

"Oh, um… I was think you could come round to my apartment and we could just hang out or something?" She replied awkwardly, she'd wanted to spend time with him but she hadn't actually thought how. He's probably going to say no now, she thought to herself.

"Sounds great. Do you want me to bring anything?" He asked, standing and grabbing his car keys as he eagerly awaited her hanging up so he could drive round there and see her face to face.

"Uh…" She hesitated and looked round the room as if it would present an answer. "No, don't worry about it. Just bring yourself" She said with a grin as she realised just how cheesy that would sound to him.

"Alright, I'll, uh, bring myself over now" He said with a small laugh and grinned back as he pulled open his front door. "Bye, Emily" He said. He waited for her to say goodbye to him then hung up and hurriedly got into his car and drove, faster than normal, straight to her apartment.

Emily let the phone slip from her hand to the floor and lay her head back on the sofa while letting out a sigh of relief. "That wasn't so bad, was it Serg?" She asked as she smiled and ruffled the fur on his head. She couldn't seem to get rid of the little smile on her face until she heard the knocking on the door.

She practically ran towards the door then stopped, took a deep breath, brushed a few strands of Sergio's dark fur off her white shirt, and opened the door as calmly as she could. "Hey" She said, the big grin returning as she opened the door for Reid to come in.

"Hi" He said and returned her infectious grin. He took a step inside the apartment and looked round, Reid only been round a few times and he'd always had Morgan or JJ with him.

"Do you want a drink or something?" She said and turned her body ever so slightly towards the kitchen.

"Uh, sure" He said and put his hands in his pockets. Emily went to the fridge, pulled out two bottled waters then carried them out to Reid. "You remembered I like bottled water?" He asked with a little proud smile as he opened the bottle and took a sip.

"Yeah… I saw it in a store a few months back and remembered you said you liked it so I picked a couple up just to try" She replied while trying to play it cool.

"There's no documented health benefits of drinking bottled water rather than tap water but I personally prefer the taste of it" He said, he always had the habit of talking too much when he was nervous and when he was around Emily it was even worse.

Emily tilted her head at him as he sheepishly took another sip of water and smiled. She could tell he was nervous but she couldn't tell why. Her profiling skills could tell her but she refused to listen to anything but her own voice of reason that told her a guy like him would never like a girl like her. "Can you show me that magic trick again?" She asked, referring to the magic trick she'd been trying to work out for the last few weeks.

"Um, sure. Do you have a coin?" He asked as he searched through his pockets for one.

"Oh, uh… Here's one" She said as she grabbed a coin off of an end table. She passed it to him and she couldn't help notice how both of them paused for a second longer than they needed to before they pulled their hands away, the coin now in Reid's hands.

He gave a little smile, showed the coin in his palm, passed the coin into his other hand, but when he opened the hand the coin should be in it was empty. Emily looked thoughtful for a moment or two then her face split into a grin.

"I know how you do it!" She proclaimed.

"How?" Reid asked with the same grin on his face as he eagerly awaited the answer.

"You slip it up your sleeve when you pretend to put it in your other hand!"

"I already told you I don't do it like that!"

"Push your sleeves up then and prove it!" She said and grabbed at his sleeve to push them up.

Reid let out a little giggle and pulled away slightly even though he knew she wouldn't find the coin. "It's not in my sleeve!" He called out as she half tickled him to get the sleeves up.

"Come on, Reid. I know it's up there" She said as she pushed the sleeve up only to find his long slender arm. "Dammit… I was sure I'd worked it out" She said and smiled up at him with a look of defeat.

"I told you you'd never work it out" He said with a little triumphant smile.

"Oh yeah? Where's the coin now, then?"

"Right… here" He said as he put his hand behind her head like he was tucking a strand hair of hair behind her ear then when he pulled his hand back the coin was in his hand.

"How did you do that?" She called and took the coin from his hand and examined it. She slowly moved backwards while still staring at the coin and sat down on the sofa.

Reid smiled down at her then down only a few inches from her. "Magic" He whispered in a jokingly way and smiled wider.

Emily lifted her eyes away from the coin and smiled at Reid. "I'll figure you out, Reid. Believe me"

"It's magic! You can't figure it out!" He said with a little laugh.

"I'll still figure you out" She said with a little smile as she shifted her body position so she was facing him with her back resting against the arm of the chair. "So, what were you gonna do if I didn't call you?"

"I don't know… I had a book I was thinking about reading…" He replied shyly as he mimicked her sitting position.

"So you weren't planning on watching a doctor who marathon?" She asked with a little knowing smile.

He laughed a little then nodded. "I'd rather be her with you though" He said without meaning to then tried to cover it up with the friendliest smile he could manage.

"Good" She said and returned the smile even though her heart had stopped beating when she heard him say it. "Oh, how was your Aunt Ethel?"

"Huh?" He asked as he thought back to the previous case in California where his aunt had moved to when he was twelve. He'd stopped by her small bungalow the day the case had been solved just to visit; he hadn't seen her for almost three years. "She's good… She still thinks my hair is too long though" He said with an awkward smile.

Emily wanted to say she loved the length of his so badly but friends don't say stuff like that, do they? There was a small pause and Reid realised he needed to say something. "Do you have any aunts or uncles?" He asked awkwardly.

"Nope… my mom was adopted" She explained with an awkward smile Reid had never seen before that matched his perfectly. "It's no big deal, I moved around a lot so I wouldn't have seen them if I did have any" She added with a small shrug.

There was another pause as Emily picked at her fingernails. "Did your mom ever meet her biological mom?" Reid asked nervously, he wasn't sure whether or not he should change the subject or if she wanted to talk about this.

"No… She was always pretty bitter about her adoption, she stopped talking to her adoptive mom when she was eighteen or something and she never contacted her again… I don't think she even looked for her biological mom"

"You never met your grandma?" Reid asked.

"Nope" Emily said with the same awkward smile.

"Would you want to?" Reid questioned as he fought not to profile her from this new discovery.

"Maybe… I don't know what I'd do even if I could find her. I mean, I'm the daughter of the child she gave up… not exactly a great ice breaker, is it?" She said with a little laugh. Reid couldn't help but note that she thought of her grandma as her mother's biological mother rather than her adoptive mother.

"Well, I could help you" He blurted without meaning to. His cheeks became a rosy red and he gave a sheepish smile. "You know, help you find her and be there when you talk to her" He explained shyly. "If you'd want me too" He added quietly.

Emily gave him a reassuring smile and nodded. "That sounds great"


	2. a little help from friends

Garcia's fingers flew over her keyboard while Emily and Reid stood patiently a few feet away in her lair. "Finding anything useful is gonna be way unlikely guys" She warned them as she typed in the final few bits of information then sat back in her chair and let the computer do it's checks. "Adoption records were super relaxed back then compared to now. We'll be lucky if we even-" Garcia stopped mid sentence then sat up in her char and began typing with a confused look.

"What is it?" Emily asked with worry obvious in her voice as she took a step closer to the computer.

"Today's your lucky day" Garcia replied simply as she clicked through links and entered more information. "your grandma used planned parenthood to find an adoption agency for your mom and because of all the legal stuff parenthood are crazy about paperwork and filing and all that fun stuff" Garcia said sarcastically with a smirk on her face. "Which means all we have to do is follow the trail and we find your mom's mom"

"How long will it take to find the adoption agency?" Reid asked after a small pause while Emily took in the information.

"Already on it" Garcia replied as she spun her chair from one computer to the other and grabbed a neon pink pen with feathers on the end. She quickly scribbled something down on a pink post it then spun her chair two face the two agents and handed it to Reid. "Top number is the Planned Parenthood branch she used, middle number is the adoption agency and the bottom is the state's adoption information helpline" She stated before he turned to leave.

"Thanks, Garcia" Emily mumbled as she went to take a step back.

"No problem" She said and gave a warm smile up to the still shocked agent. "Tell me how it goes, yeah?" She added softly before Emily nodded and followed Reid.

xxxxxxxxxx

"No, Ma'am, i understand the rules. All i'm asking is for you to-" JJ began but was cut off by the woman on the end of the line. She gritted her teeth and rolled her eyes to stop herself from saying something she knew wouldn't help. "I just need the name of the biological mother to Elizabeth Prentiss" JJ said then listened to the woman.

Emily glanced over to Reid while she subconsciously picked at her nails and bit her lip. Reid gave her a sheepish smile in an attempt to dislodge some of her nerves but the phone conversation didn't sound hopeful. "Well then transfer me to someone who can!" JJ snapped as her anger finally broke to the surface. She waited for a few moments then hung up and placed the phone on the nearest table. "She hung up on me" JJ said in disbelief and shook her head.

"You got further than me" Emily said with a shrug and half smile to comfort her friend.

"What do we do now?" Reid asked with an uncertain tone to his voice.

"Well, they aren't gonna be much help. The adoption records are sealed and unless i get a court order or start holding hostages it doesn't look like that's gonna change anytime soon" JJ said with a sigh as she dropped onto one of the briefing room's chairs.

Reid thought for a moment then picked up the post it he'd been given earlier and began a brisk walk to Garcia's office with Emily close behind him.

"How'd it go?" Garcia asked with an optimistic smile as she turned to see the glum faces in front of her. "That bad?" She sighed and swung her chair back round to the computers, stretched her fingers, and prepared to do some typing.

"The file is sealed and they won't unseal it so we can't find the biological mother" Reid answered.

"So you want me to have a quick look then seal it back up?" Garcia said with a cheeky grin as her fingers got to work.

"If it isn't too much work for you" Emily said with a tone that hinted at guilt for everyone working so hard to help her; Garcia's office was overflowing with paperwork she was meant to be scanning into her database and JJ was supposed to be look through case files but instead they were helping her.

"Work? Honey, i could do this in my sleep" Garcia replied with a little laugh. She suddenly stopped typing and clicked through multiple links until a printing request popped up. She quickly accepted the request then spun her chair round with a smug smile. "Mary Thomas residing in Washington DC" She announced proudly then pulled the paper from her printer and passed it to Emily.

"This is her?" Emily asked, her voice barely above a whisper, as she stared at the passport photo Garcia had attached to the printing file. The grainy black and white image showed an aged woman with a DOB placing her in her mid eighties. Garcia's smile softened and she slowly nodded. Emily cleared her throat, looked up at the other woman and put on a weak smile. "Thanks" She mumbled before quickly walking out of the office with Reid following her closely.

Xxxxxxxxxx

"Have you thought anymore about it?" Reid asked as Emily and he moved forward in the queue. He didn't even need to say what the subject of the conversation was; they both knew instantly.

"A little... I checked out plane flights but... I don't know, it just doesn't feel real. I mean, i never had a grandma growing up. What's the point making things worse with my mom by trying to have one now?" Emily said with a small sigh.

"Have you talked to your mom about it?" He asked then paused the conversation briefly to order their coffees.

"She extended her trip in Italy so she won't be back for another few months" Emily explained as they picked up their coffees and walked towards a free table.

"You could always visit Mary and not tell your mom. If things go badly Mary can't contact your mom to tell her and if things go well you still have the choice on whether you tell your mom" Reid said thoughtfully as he and Emily poured packets of Splenda into their cups.

Emily thought through what he had said while she stirred her coffee then took a sip and nodded. "Would you, um... Would you wanna go with me?" Emily asked slowly with an edge of nerves in her voice that she tried her best to hide. "I mean, you don't have to but it might be fun" She added quickly with a small shrug to say it didn't matter to her either way.

Reid took a sip of his coffee to stop himself from seeming to eager then nodded and gave her his signature sheepish smile.

**First off i've gotta thank you guys for the reviews as well as those who followed and favourited. I can't believe i got so much good feedback (either directly from reviews or just people deciding they want more) just from the first chapter! You guys are so awesome and i hope i didn't disappoint with this chapter. I'll be the first to admit the dialogue isn't as good as i'd like it to be but it's always been weird when i try and write characters that like each other but aren't together. That's usually why i write ships as already being together but i really wanted to push myself with this one so hopefully the dialogue should improve as the story progresses. Hope you liked the chapter! :)**


	3. meeting Mary

"Are you sure you're gonna be alright?" Garcia asked while looking up at Emily who was standing by the door of her lair. JJ stood a few paces from the tech queen and gave an agreeing nod which made Emily's lips curl into a small smile.

"I'm going to be fine!" She said with a little laugh slipping through her voice. "It's a three hour flight, we've done triple that on a case" Emily added when the women didn't look convinced.

"Yeah, but what about meeting your mom? That's gonna be rough" JJ continued their argument for herself or Garcia to come with Emily.

"I'll have Reid with me" Emily said nonchalantly with a small shrug.

"Oh, you'll have _Reid _with you" Garcia repeated as a grin consumed her face and JJ's eyes shone with glee.

"As a friend" Emily stated lamely with an embarrassed smile.

"Sure" The girls chimed in unison while Emily made her way for the door.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Come on, man. One drink" Morgan begged Reid who was sorting files on his desk and grabbing his messenger bag.

"I can't" Reid said again as he stood and began the walk to the elevator with Morgan close behind him.

"Why?" Morgan whined while stepping into the elevator and hitting the ground floor button.

"I have to wake up early tomorrow" Reid answered casually with the same shrug Emily had used only minutes earlier on JJ and Garcia.

"For what? It's a Saturday!" Morgan reminded him then grinned. "Let me guess, a star trek marathon?"

"No" Reid said indignantly while stepping out of the elevator and feeling the cool breeze roll in from the open door. "I'm going to DC tomorrow and the flight leaves early"

"DC? What're you going there for?" Morgan asked with an obviously confused look on his face, Reid hadn't mentioned anything about DC recently.

"Emily wanted some company for the flight" Reid answered, choosing his words carefully, and pulled his car keys out of his bag.

Morgan's face spit into a grin and a laugh passed his lips. "Seriously? Emily asked for some _company?_"

"We're just friends" Reid stated in a voice that pleaded Morgan to stop teasing him.

"Whatever you say, pretty boy" Morgan said with a small smile as Reid slid into his car. The younger man started his car and just as he was driving out of the car park Morgan called "Have a good weekend" into the cold night air.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Are you alright?" Reid asked softly. Next to him, in one of the airplane seats, sat Emily who was staring out the window.

Emily turned, gave him a weak smile and nodded. "I'm just nervous" She answered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Her mind drifted back a few months to a case they had worked closely together, a case that had left her battered and bruised, a case that had planted the seeds of an impossible thought in her mind. The case Benjamin Cyrus had caused. She still didn't understand why she had held his hand on the plane on their way back to Quantico. Was that something friends did? She had no idea.

That case had been rough on everyone, not just Emily. Reid had felt responsible for her injuries... he still felt guilt over it. The team had to be prepared for the possible loss of two of the family members. They had known they were the only thing standing between them and death and if they hadn't tried their hardest Reid and Emily might've died. But Reid had been there with her, not just listening to what was happening but feeling it.

So it wasn't completely illogical for Emily to hold Reid's hand. Only they could know how the other was feeling and maybe that was why she looked for comfort from him and not someone else. And it had worked. Holding Reid's hand, even for a few seconds, had made her feel a little stronger. It had made her body ache a little less and the nerves she felt a little less powerful. Emily wouldn't ever admit it but that night on the plane she was terrified to fall asleep. Reid had made her feel safe.

So maybe it wasn't completely illogical to hold his hand now, she thought while stretching out her hand to his. She didn't know what kind of reaction she had expected from him but when Reid simply smiled back at her she knew that was the one she had wanted.

xxxxxxxxxx

Reid slightly cleared his throat once he had parked the car. Emily stared out of the window to a small house with a perfect front yard surrounded by a white picket fence. It wasn't what Emily had expected for a woman who gave up her own daughter. Emily internally smiled as she released just how much of a double standard that was. At least this woman had the heart to let her mom have a life, Emily's child hadn't been so fortunate.

"We can come back tomorrow, if you want" Reid said which dragged her right out of her daydream.

"No, today's fine" Emily mumbled while unbuckling her seatbelt and pushing open the car door. Reid nodded and followed her lead toward the house's door. Emily lifted her hand, hesitating for only a moment before she gave two quick knocks.

After a few seconds both agents could hear movement coming from inside and within a few more seconds the door was opened cautiously. "Hello?" A gentle voice came from the woman that had opened the door.

Emily had rehearsed this a million times in her head but faced with the situation her body refused to do what she told it to. Reid watched her for a second and realised what was happening, the same thing had happened to him when he found his father after years of no contact, and took the lead.

"Hi, I'm Spencer. Are you Mary Thomas?" Reid said with a friendly smile gracing his lips.

The woman opened the door a little more, smiled softly and nodded. "Could i ask what this is about?"

Emily tried her best to shake that feeling off of her and cleared her throat. "I'm Emily... I'm your, um..." She paused again to think of how to phrase the sentence. "I'm your granddaughter"

**ok, i've been totally suckish about updating but i'm gonna try really hard to post a new chapter to all of my open stories plus stick to updating at least once a week. anyway, please remember to review if you've got time, it means so much when you guys tell me what you think! i hope you enjoyed the chapter and it was worth the wait!**


	4. cookies and coffee

Reid gave an awkward half smile before taking a sip of steaming hot coffee. Emily glanced round the cosy living room while subconsciously picking at her fingernails; she could hear a faint padding noise before Mary emerged from behind the kitchen door with freshly baked cookies. "I don't want to impose-" Emily began mumbling but when Mary smiled softly at her she stopped.

"I have to admit, I wasn't expecting any of Elizabeth's children to look for me" Mary said in a crackly voice as she sat down and offered a cookie to Reid.

"well, I'm an only child so you don't need to worry about any more grandchildren popping round" Emily explained with a nervous smile.

"Does your mom know you're visiting?" Mary asked after a small pause.

"No… She, um, she's in Italy on business at the moment" Emily answered.

"Business? She sounds like she's doing well for herself"

"Yeah… She's an ambassador for the US"

"A politician?" Mary said then playfully grimaced "Maybe she can get me a cheaper tax return" She added then giggled. Emily smiled widely and relaxed a little. The older woman flicked her eyes over to Reid who was munching on a cookie and grinned even more.

Emily turned to look at Reid and saw why Mary was smiling so much, the chocolate chips had melted around his lips and crumbs covered his face and fingers. "Reid, you've got something on your lip" Emily spluttered out.

Reid's cheeks turned a rosy red colour and his eyelids subconsciously fluttered from embarrassment. "Is there a bathroom I can, um, clean up in?" He mumbled while rubbing roughly at his lip. Mary nodded and pointed to a door which Reid quickly exited through, leaving the two women alone.

"So, how long have you and Spencer been together" Mary said with a knowing smile.

Emily's cheek turned the same colour as Reid's and her eyes flickered to the floor. "We aren't" She said softly while brushing a few strands of hair out of her face.

"But you do like him, right?" Mary asked with a sly smile which made Emily blush even more.

"We work together… that's all" She said with a small shrug.

"I've worked with men before, Emily. And I never gave them eyes like _that_"

"The work we do makes us close… but not in that sort of a way" Emily insisted.

"Well, you might want to tell him that because, as far as I can tell, he's as googly eyed over you as you are over him" Mary concluded with a wink. Emily began to object again but Mary was already changing the subject. "So what did you say your job was?"

"Um, I'm a profiler with the behavioural analysis unit of the FBI" Emily answered and started subconsciously picking at her fingernails again; whenever she mentioned her job people put her into the 'workaholic spinster' category and she had taken a liking to Mary.

"With the FBI? Well, you've certainly done well for yourself" Mary said with a distant look. "I wish I had been there to see you grow up… I just… I couldn't give Elizabeth the life she deserved"

"I know, I… I can imagine how hard the decision was" Emily said after swallowing the lump in her throat.

Reid fumbled with the bathroom door handle before bursting back into the living room with an expression that turned from surprise to embarrassment again. "The, uh, handle got stuck" He explained before carefully closing the door and sitting back down next to Emily.

"oh, it does that quite a lot I've been meaning to get it fixed but I haven't had the time recently" Mary said which comforted Reid's embarrassment slightly. After a small pause Mary spoke again. "So where are you two from?"

"Originally I'm from Las Vegas" Reid answered first.

"I moved around a lot, as a kid, but I was born right here in DC while my mom was on a work placement… but we both moved to Virginia when we got our jobs as profilers… I think most the team had to relocate to get a job in Virginia" Emily explained to Mary who listened intently.

"So what's it like in Virginia? I suppose it's similar to DC, only I wouldn't know. I've never been out of the state"

"It's pretty similar. I mean, I live around Quantico so there's a larger police and FBI presence but most the people Reid and I have either worked with or know someone who has" Emily said before another long pause.

"So have you always lived in this neighbourhood? It's just that I was reading about the area on the flight over here and it's had a reputation for being an ideal place for raising families or settling down for retirement for almost a century" Reid stated then took a sip of coffee.

"I lived in the city for most my life but when I retired I figured I was too old for it all and moved here" Mary explained before another period of silence.

"Did you… um, did you have any other children?" Emily asked after what felt like forever, her tongue feeling thick when she mentioned children.

Mary hesitated for a moment then cleared her throat and nodded. "After Elizabeth I promised myself I would never have another child… I didn't think I deserved one. But then I fell in love and Elizabeth was in her teenager years and I thought that she wouldn't want me to spend my whole life punishing myself for one mistake" Mary answered, her voice slightly distant. "I had two children, a boy and a girl" She added with a soft smile.

"What are their names?" Emily asked, obviously more interested than before.

"Eli and Bethany" Neither of the profilers needed to ask whether they had been named after Elizabeth, just from Mary's body language it was obvious. Reid quickly checked his watch after another pause in conversation and cleared his throat.

"I should probably get back to the hotel to check in" He mumbled while standing and subconsciously brushing his hands down his chest.

"I'll come with you" Emily stated then got up and followed him to the door, Mary close behind.

"It was nice to meet you both… I wish I could have given you more answers though"

"You've given me more than enough to think about" Emily said then paused a moment as Reid took a step outside. "If it isn't too much to ask, could Spencer and I come round tomorrow? Our flight back to Virginia isn't until tomorrow evening and I don't know when we'll have another free weekend" Emily explained in a rush of words with her cheeks turning pink.

"That's fine, Emily. More than fine" Mary answered, her eyes gleaming in the half light. "Oh, and a word of advice from an old lady?" She said with a cheeky grin as she checked to see Reid was hoping into the car and out of ear shot. "I might not know either of you as well as I'd liked to, but that Spencer is a keeper" She added then winked before Emily turned and left with a smirk on her face.

**This chapter had to be written in a bit of a rush to get it up for today but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I'm not sure where I'm going to be taking it next so suggestions are always welcomed! For anyone wondering about the length of the flight, Emily and Reid flew from Charlottesville to DC which is apparently three hours. Whenever I work out the length of a plane flight I always use expedia to get the rough idea of how long it'll be and Charlottesville is the airport I usually use if they're flying from Quantico. Updates for this story should be every Tuesday from now on! Please favourite or follow if you liked it and review if you've got time. Hope you liked the chapter! :)**


	5. the hotel room

Emily sat on the edge of her hotel bed while subconsciously biting her bottom lip. She hadn't been kidding when she'd told Mary she had a lot to think over. She had almost a whole 24 hours before she'd be on a plane back to Quantico. But what was she meant to do with that time? There was still a part of her yelling to get out of this situation as soon as possible. She could get the first plane tomorrow morning with Reid and never have to see Mary again.

"Em?" Reid said softly, his voice barely above a whisper; you could tell just by the way he looked at the woman he was concerned. Emily quickly smiled but it was weak and half hearted. There was a small pause as Reid considered whether or not to say something. "Are you feeling alright?" He finally asked.

"Yeah… I was just thinking about Mary" Emily replied in a jagged voice when she mentioned her name.

"You're over thinking it" He stated while pushing his hands into his pockets and taking a step closer to her.

"I know I just… I don't wanna make things more complicated" She struggled to explain then sighed and pushed a few strand of her hair out of her face. "If I leave now then Mary won't get hurt. She'll assume I was just looking for the truth about where I came from and carry on with her life. If I go and see her tomorrow then she'll start expecting stuff from me and I don't want to disappoint her…" She said in a rush of words as her cheeks tinted pink.

"Emily, one of the first things Mary told you today was that she wasn't expecting you to look for her. She's not going to expect anything from you just because you visit her tomorrow" He said and took and took another small step forward.

"But what about my mom? She hates Mary for giving her up for adoption… She'll think I'm choosing sides between them" Emily stated then stood while picking her fingers.

"You don't know that. Your mom might reach out to Mary if she knows you have. It might give her the confidence to-" Reid began but was cut off by Emily.

"And what if she doesn't reach out? What if-" Emily started with a hint of hysteria in her voice but Reid stopped her.

"Why does her opinion matter that much to you? I mean, I know she's your mom but you can't spend your whole life doing what will make her happy! If your mom doesn't like you seeing Mary then she'll have to deal with that. If you want to see Mary then you should see her. If you don't then don't but it's not fair blaming your decision on other people" Reid blurted out.

"I'm not blaming my decision on other people!" Emily had to stop herself from shouting as she took a half step closer to Reid.

"Then why have you suddenly changed your mind? On the way back you couldn't stop smiling but now you're acting like none of that even happened"

"Because I'm weighing up all my options! I'm not going to jump blindly into something because people get hurt when you do that and I'm not gonna hurt somebody just because I didn't think it through" Emily answered, her voice getting quieter and rougher as she spoke. There was a long pause as both profilers took a few deep breaths and studied the floor in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" Reid said softly then stopped midsentence, not sure how to finish it.

"It's alright… It's my fault" Emily said in the same quiet, weak voice.

"No, I only got upset because I made it about me. This is your decision and I'm only here to support that" Reid said, almost to himself, sternly. Emily looked up slightly and saw he was staring out the window behind her. She thought about asking him what he meant but decided not to push the issue. After a long pause Reid cleared his throat and walked toward the door. "I'll give you some time to think on your own" He mumbled before leaving.

Emily stood for a few more moments then sighed and sat back down on her bed while rubbing at her tired eyes.

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Emily sat up on her bed as she heard the hotel door click closed. Her eyes searched for the source of the noise until they rested on Reid. "Hey" He said softly with an awkward half smile. "Were you asleep?" He asked, noticing her slightly dazed expression and the wrinkled bed.

"Yeah" Emily admitted with an embarrassed smile. After a small pause Reid sat down on one of the armchairs and opened his messenger bag. "Garcia called while you were gone… She said that next time we come it'll be cheaper to drive. It'll take a little longer but an extra half hour won't make much difference" She explained to fill the silence.

Reid couldn't help but not she'd said 'we' instead of 'I'. He tried to put it down to a slip of the tongue but there was still the nagging voice of a profiler at the back of his head. "Do you, um…" He paused what he was doing to think of how to phrase his question then cleared his throat. "Do you want me to come with you next time?"

"Yeah that would be nice… I mean, if it's not too much trouble for you. Because if you're busy or whatever I can just-" Emily said in a rush of words then stopped when she realised she was rambling. Reid smiled a little as Emily's cheeks turned a pink shade and she brushed a few strand of hair out of her face, something she always did when she was embarrassed. "What did you do while you were out wandering round DC?" She finally asked after a long pause.

"There's a park a few blocks from here. I spent most of my time there" Reid explained slowly while running his hand through his hair and placing his bag on the floor.

"You spent three hours in a park?" Emily asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Reading" He added then pulled a book out of his bag to prove his explanation.

"Right" Emily said with a nod. There was another long pause as Emily thought back to what Mary had said earlier. She couldn't be right about Reid. Why would he ever like her? Reid was a smart guy; he could have any girl he wanted. Emily switched between pushing people away and needing them there every moment of the day, how could he put up with that? But Mary was right about one thing. Reid was definitely a keeper.

"Em?" Reid said after another long pause. "You're picking your fingernails again" He added softly after she looked up with a confused look.

"Sorry" Emily mumbled while twisting her fingers round each other.

"What were you thinking about? You only pick your nails when you're stressed" Reid stated, he tried keeping his tone as neutral as possible but his eyes showed the worry anyway.

"Something Mary said" Reid scrunched his eyebrows and subconsciously licked his lips then waited for her explanation. After a small pause Emily looked up and realised Reid was still looking at her so cleared her throat. "She said something about you that made me laugh, that's all" Emily said in an attempt to dislodge Reid's suspicion but he looked more interested than before.

"What was it?" He asked with a small half smile creeping onto his lips.

Mary had said plenty of things about Reid while they were there but Emily's mind had gone blank, the only thing she could remember was them being in a relationship. Emily internally cursed then let out a soft laugh. "She thought we were a couple" She explained with a fake smile in the hope Reid wouldn't want to know more.

"Really?" Reid blurted out before he could stop himself then choked on his words and cleared his throat. "It's just no one has ever presumed that before" He said then dryly swallowed and let his eyes study the floor while his cheeks turned red.

"Yeah… She, uh" Emily paused to watch Reid's reaction; surely he wouldn't have a response like that if they were just friends. "She asked how long we'd been together"

Reid cleared his throat and tried his best to stop his cheeks turning any pinker than they were. "What did you tell her?" He asked in rough voice while flicking his eyes back and forth from the carpet to Emily.

"That we weren't" Emily replied in a distant voice. She couldn't keep her eyes of Reid. His whole reaction was wrong. He should have laughed it off or at least smiled if he thought of her as a friend. But he was blushing, he could barely look at her and there was a light glaze of sweat on his forehead. Reid cleared his throat, rubbed his hands together then looked up at her and gave a weak smile. "Is that what I should have said?" The woman asked.

Reid licked his lips again then sat back in the chair slightly. "W-What d'you mean?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Should I have told her we were together?" Emily rephrased the question and edged slightly closer to him so she was just perched on the edge of the bed.

Reid paused for a moment then looked up and shrugged, a look of conflict behind his eyes. "What am I supposed to say?" He asked, his voice shaking from the effort of raising it to be audible.

Emily sucked in a deep breath then blurted out her answer. "How you feel about me"

**I had enough time this week to take a little longer on this chapter which you might be able t0 tell in the quality. I wanted to get a bit of a move on with the relationship between Reid and Emily but hopefully it wasn't rushed. I'm still unsure what to do about Mary so feedback on her would be great. As always, please favourite or follow if you like the story so far and review if you've got the time. Hope you liked the chapter! :)**


	6. the truth

"You know how I feel about you" Reid murmured while twisting his sweaty hands together.

"Do I?" Emily asked and raised an eyebrow. Reid licked his lips but said nothing; he knew he wasn't doing a good job at hiding it. "Reid, you aren't showing signs of a friend talking to a friend. You keep fidgeting, you're sweating and, even though you're trying to control it, your breathing is erratic" Emily stated, focusing her mind rather than letting it drift.

"So, what? You're profiling me now?" Reid snapped.

"Yelling at me isn't going to make me avoid the conversation" Emily said in a neutral tone.

"I'm not yelling. I just… I don't wanna talk about it" Reid finally sighed and sat back in his chair.

"No offense, Reid, but this isn't what I feel like talking about either. We still need to though" Emily said softly then edged a little closer.

"I still don't know what you want me to say" Reid said, barely managing to raise his voice above a whisper.

Emily paused a few seconds, listening to Reid's breathing, before clearing her throat. "Earlier today when Mary asked me how long we had been together I didn't know what to say. I know we aren't a couple… but I didn't know how to say we weren't" Emily offered.

"Morgan teases me about you" Reid said suddenly after a long pause. Neither of the profilers could help the smiles that crept onto their lips.

"Garcia does that" Emily added with a grin.

"He wanted to go for a drink yesterday. I turned him down because we were flying out early this morning… A part of me wanted to go with him though. There's always a part of me saying that how I feel is totally irrational. I didn't want to be sat at home thinking about possibilities that weren't going to happen" He mumbled softly, the smile slowly fading off his lips.

"You never said anything"

"I didn't know how" Reid said in a stronger voice. "Every time I tried the words wouldn't come out how I wanted. And then the situation wasn't right"

"It would have been right anytime" Emily comforted, gently brushing her hand against his then giving it a gently squeeze.

"On a case?" Reid asked, lifting his head and awkwardly half smiling. "I wanted it to be special. I wanted to know that if you said no it wasn't because I had asked at the wrong time or I'd said it in the wrong way. I needed to know that it was me who stopped you saying yes" He added then dropped his eyes back to the floor.

"Reid?" Emily softly said to bring his attention back to her face. "I'm saying yes, ok?" She said then broke into a grin. "Whatever this is, I'm saying yes" She repeated in an excited tone.

Reid slowly stood, still clinging to Emily's hand, so the brunette followed his lead. "This is… We're a- a couple?" Reid stammered, his bottom lip shaking slightly as it curved into a smile.

Emily grinned even more, quickly nodded then pulled him into a tight hug.

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"There's something different about you today" Mary stated smugly while stirring her tea. Both women were standing in the kitchen making hot drinks while Reid waited in the living room. Emily smiled innocently while holding in a laugh. "Spencer seems different too" She added in a thoughtful tone. "Care to explain?" She finally asked with a raised eyebrow and a half smile.

"I took your advice" Emily said simply with a wide smile playing on her lips. Mary picked up her tea while Emily took the two coffees and they both walked back to the living room. Emily sat next to Reid, where they had been sitting the day before, and Mary took her tea to the opposite sofa.

"So, Emily tells me that you two are together now" Mary said with a cheeky smile after a small pause. Reid's cheeks started tinting pink as soon as he heard the words, his eyes shifting round the room as he nodded. Mary's smile softened before she took a sip of tea. "Well, I'm glad to hear it. I thought I was going to need to do an intervention a day after I met you" She added with a grin.

Emily let out a soft laugh she'd been holding in from the excitement of telling Mary while Reid smiled widely and took a sip of his drink.

After a few seconds a distant ringing sound could be heard before Mary jumped up and scuttled out into the hallway. Reid and Emily sat quietly until she came back.

"Sorry about that" She sighed while moving back to her seat. "That was Eli. He was calling to remind me he's bringing his little ones over in an hour" She paused for a moment to gauge Emily's reaction before continuing nonchalantly. "I don't know what time your flight is but you're free to stay and meet them, if you'd like"

Emily paused for a few seconds to think about it, Reid gently brushed his fingers over her hand to comfort her. "Well, we've got a couple of hours before we need to leave. I don't see why it would be a problem to stay a little longer" She explained. "Does, um… Have you told Eli about me or my mom yet?"

"I was going to today… I'm not really one to use the phone much and he was coming round anyway"

After a long pause Reid cleared his throat and placed his mug on the coffee table. "So, what's Eli like?"

xxxxxxxxxx

"Mom, someone parked their car outside" Eli called after pushing open Mary's front door. He waited a few seconds before he slowly eased open the living room door. His eyes glanced over Reid and Emily as he scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. "I didn't know you had company?" He murmured while a little girl poked her head round the door.

"Hey sweetie" Mary smiled and reached out toward the girl who bound forward to sit on her grandma's lap. "Eli, this is Emily and Spencer" Eli put on a smile and shook both their hands then turned back to his mom. "They work for the FBI. Profilers, if I remember correctly" Mary stated proudly, Emily nodding at the end of the sentence.

"What, uh, seems to be the problem?" Eli asked while sitting next to Mary with an anxious look.

"Oh, there's no problem" Mary rushed then smiled when her son relaxed. As Mary thought how to word the explanation a little boy walked in with thick brown curls hanging round his eyes. Eli pulled the boy up onto his lap and smoothed the curls out of his face while still glancing from the profilers to his mom. Mary smiled softly at the little boy before clearing her throat and saying "Emily is your niece"


	7. Eli's reaction

"Kids, go play" Eli mumbled while carefully putting the little boy's feet on the ground. The girl looked up at her grandma then to her dad before taking her brother's hand and walking out of the room. Emily glanced at Reid, her fingers starting to pick at her nails as Reid gave her a weak smile. "Do you wanna try and explain what you're doing in my mom's house?"

"Eli" Mary warned and placed a shaking hand on her son's arm.

"You know, I've heard about people like you. You trick vulnerable old people into believing you're family then take their money and leave them with nothing!" Eli growled through gritted teeth.

"Eli, stop it" Mary pleaded.

"What were you planning on saying? Your car broke down and you can't get back home? Medical bills? Come on, tell me. I'm really interested in how you were gonna con my mother" Eli continued.

"Eli, you stop that right now! This is your sister's daughter and if you can't accept that then you can leave right now" Mary said in a stern voice.

"Bethany only has one daughter and that is definitely not her"

"Your other sister, Eli" She said gently, her face softening as confusion descended on Eli's.

"I- I don't have another sister" Eli denied in a hoarse voice.

"Eli, when I was younger, before I had you and your sister, I had a little girl. I was too young to look after her and there wasn't any support for single moms in those days. I didn't have any other choice than to put her up for adoption" Mary said in a soft, fragile voice.

"You just gave her up?" Eli asked with a touch of anger in his voice.

"I had no choice. If I had tried to keep her she would have been starving hungry, wearing rags and living on the streets. I couldn't do that to her. Child services would have taken her away and she would have grown up with God knows how many other children without anybody caring about her… But she didn't. I gave her the chance with a family that could care for her"

Eli paused for a few moments then cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. "You're my niece?" He asked in a husky voice.

Emily half smiled and rapidly nodded which made Reid grin stupidly. "This is my, um, boyfriend, Spencer" She added and squeezed his hand a little.

"I, uh…" Eli began then broke into a dazed grin and rubbed his hands together. "Do you wanna meet the kids properly?" He blurted out. Emily immediately agreed and a few moments later the girl was tugging the little boy back through the door with a nervous smile. "Hey sweetie" Eli said soothingly to the girl. "This is your cousin, Emily"

"You look too old to be my cousin" The girl said with a blank face which made the adults chuckle. The girl looked around at the grownups laughing with a confused look then returned her gaze back to Emily. "I'm Scarlett" She stated while offering her hand to shake.

Emily obediently shook Scarlett's hand and tried to ignore how much the little girl reminded her of Reid. "How old are you, Scarlett?" Emily asked.

"Ten. Oliver's six" She stated then, after watching the woman for a few seconds more, stepped back toward her dad.

"You must be Oliver" Emily said softly to the little boy with curly locks falling into his face. The little boy's cheeks tinted pink as he fumbled to push hair out of his eyes and nod. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Oliver" She added while gently shaking his hand.

"We have other cousins too" Scarlett stated while fiddling with a strand of her brunette hair. "Aunt Bethany has three boys and a girl"

Emily looked up and smiled at Mary for a moment then returned her eyes to Scarlett. "That's a lot of cousins! Can you remember all their names?"

Oliver giggled slightly but Scarlett nodded diligently. "Andy, Joe, Tommy and Ella" She read out, her hand by her side as she counted off the names. Eli smiled fondly at Scarlett then stood and made his way out of the room.

"Do you play with them much?" Emily asked.

"Andy and Joe are too old to play and Tommy only likes cars" Scarlett explained while plonking herself down next to her grandma.

"What about Ella?"

"She's just a baby" Scarlett stated then scrunched her eyebrows slightly. "Are you and Spencer married" She questioned after a long pause.

Emily let out a nervous laugh while Reid's cheeks turned rosy red and his lips curled into a smile. "Not quite" Emily answered.

"You should be" She said simply then skipped out of the room with Oliver trotting close behind with his tousled hair bouncing as he went.

A moment later Eli came back in with a cup of hot liquid and sat himself back down. "Asking if you were married?" He asked knowingly with a half smile pulling at his lips. Both agents blushed even more and Mary and Eli exchanged glances as they shared a smile. "She does it all the time, don't worry about it" He brushed off then took a sip of coffee. "So, FBI profilers, huh? Tell me about that"

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"Reeeeeeeeid" Morgan called through the phone with a grin.

"Hey Morgan" Reid greeted while pushing a few strands of hair out of his face.

"I was thinking we could go for a drink or something. You up for it?"

"Sorry, I'm still in DC with Emily" He explained while rubbing a hand against his body to keep himself warm in the cool night air.

"Still? Did you miss your flight or something?" He asked while checking the time and flicking his eyebrows.

"No, um, Emily wanted to spend some more time with her family. We're gonna drive back a little later tonight"

"I guess I'll tag along with Garcia and JJ then… How's it going over there, anyway?"

"Good. Her uncle is here with his son and daughter so she just wanted to stay a little longer"

"That's not what I mean" Morgan said while letting out a small laugh. "How's it going with you and Prentiss?"

"Do I have to tell you over the phone?" Reid whined while glancing back to the house behind him.

"You dirty dog! You took my advice, didn't you?" He grinned.

"Morgan, please" Reid begged. "We didn't do anything"

"Whatever you say, man" Morgan said with a laugh slipping through his voice. "I'll see you at work tomorrow. Have a good night"

**As a couple of you guessed that Eli was going to react badly but I decided not to change it just because I think it would be would suit his personality to do that. I still wanted to make Mary quite a dominating person though, even if she's a real softy under it all. I'm thinking about playing off Emily and Reid's relationship back at Quantico for a while and then possibly meeting Bethany and her kids but tell me what you think/want! **


	8. back to business

"Hey man" Morgan greeted while squeezing Reid's shoulders as he came from behind him. "Good weekend?"

Reid blushed slightly and half smiled while nodding. "We drove back an hour after you called"

"Her place or yours?" He asked with a grin on his face.

"Morgan" Reid stopped the older man, his eyes darting round the bullpen as his cheeks turned even redder. "We went back to our own apartments, like friends do" He added in a hushed voice.

"But you aren't just friends anymore, are you?" Morgan chuckled while perching on the edge of his desk.

"Please, Morgan. No one knows yet" Reid pleaded, sitting down at his desk and sighing at the pile of paperwork.

"Hey, kid? What's eating at you? You've got your dream girl!" Morgan said, his fast softening slightly.

"But I can't tell anyone… I finally told her and now all I want to do is tell everyone but I can't" He explained in a quiet voice, his eyes sliding across his desk in embarrassment.

"Prentiss isn't a mind reader, Reid. Talk to her. If I know her as well as I think I do, she's thinking the same as you" Morgan explained. "Plus, if you can't concentrate you're not going to be able to do all your paperwork… and if you aren't doing yours, you won't be able to do my leftovers"

"Thanks, Morgan" Reid said with a weak smile. He stared at his desk for a moment longer then quickly stood and began a fast walk toward Garcia's lair.

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"Come on, spill" JJ demanded.

"There's nothing to say… I met Mary and Spencer was really supportive about it" Emily brushed off while trying to keep a neutral expression.

"Oh, _Spencer_ was supportive, huh?" Garcia teased.

"Reid. I said Reid" Emily rushed, her cheeks tinting pink as her tongue started to feel thick.

"I'm pretty sure you said Spencer" JJ stated as her and Garcia shared a smile. "Care to tell us what happened on that long weekend or am I going to have to get Pen to pull the CCTV on your hotel?"

"You can't be serious?" Emily's face dropped which made the girls giggle even more.

"So something _did_ happen!" Garcia exclaimed and clapped her hands together from excitement.

Before Emily could rush to explain there was a soft knock on the door and Reid slowly pushed it open with a half smile tugging at his lips. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No, I was just telling Garcia about Eli and his kids" Emily quickly excused then stood up. "I'll catch up with you guys later" She added before following Reid out of the lair.

JJ and Garcia couldn't contain the laughs that exploded from inside them but in between the giggles Garcia just managed to choke out "They so did it"

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"What's up" Emily asked after they'd walked to the end of a quiet, empty corridor.

"I was thinking about if we were gonna tell the team. It's just; I'm not good at keeping secrets from them. Morgan's already guessed and I don't know how long I can keep it from everyone else" Reid said in a rush of words, a worried look on his face as his cheeks turned pink.

"I'm definitely with you on telling the team" She said while fiddling with her nails. "JJ and Garcia are trying to find the CCTV of the hotel because I wouldn't tell them" She added with a grin.

Reid smiled softly and glanced in the direction of Garcia's lair before returning his eyes to Emily's. "We could tell them today, if you want"

"Sounds like a plan" Emily whispered as she took a step closer. "Or we could wait till Garcia finds the CCTV"

Reid grinned widely then planted a soft kiss on Emily's lips. "I'm pretty sure we'd be fired if Hotch found out like that"

Emily groaned slightly and slumped shoulders. "How are we supposed to tell Hotch?"

"I can handle it" Reid said in a confident tone with a serious face.

Emily stifled a laugh then laid a hand on Reid's chest. "No offense, but It would probably turn out the same as Kevin trying to talk to Rossi. We'll do this together" She said then slightly adjusted Reid's purple tie and turned toward the corridor's exit.

"Now?" Reid asked with a slight shake in his voice after he swallowed the small lump in his throat.

Emily smiled encouragingly, took his hand and tugged it slightly. "No time like the present"

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Emily fidgeted in her seat as Hotch's eagle eyes fixed on her then glided to Reid. She'd felt confident about telling him until she'd knocked on his door and was reminded just how much trouble they could be in for this. Reid glanced toward Emily then swallowed and looked back at Hotch's desk.

Hotch sighed slightly and sat forward in his chair. "What's this about?" He finally asked after a long pause.

"Over the last week JJ, Reid and Garcia have been helping me find my biological grandmother" Emily began then paused when Hotch looked confused.

"I don't need to be informed of what you do in your personal time" Hotch stated.

Emily took a deep breath and nodded. "What I mean to say is, they found her. Over the weekend I visited her in DC… with Reid. We…" Emily paused for a moment to decide how to word the sentence then continued. "Reid and I started a relationship"

"A romantic relationship?"Hotch asked his expression unfaltering.

Reid blushed slightly then nodded. "We know the rules on inter-team fraternisation which is why we came to you for clearance" He explained then glanced over to Emily. "So that we can continue our relationship"

Hotch thought for a moment then sat back in his chair and watched the two profilers. "I'm not going to stop you seeing each other… I just ask that you try and keep as professional as you can while working"

Reid's lips split into an uncontrollable grin which made Hotch half smile while shaking Emily's hand. "Thank you, sir" Emily said softly with a grateful smile to which Hotch nodded. After a moment or two Reid opened the door for Emily who exited first.

"Oh, and Reid?" Hotch stopped him before he could follow Emily out. "Congratulations"

**I had to rush the last bit because I hadn't had my computer to do any writing until about an hour ago so the dialogue might be a little off. Hopefully you liked it anyway. I'm thinking next chapter the whole team will find out and I'm really looking forward to writing their reactions. Would anyone like to see more of Mary, Eli, Emily's cousins or Elizabeth? I'm thinking about reintroducing them in a couple of chapters so let me know if you'd like that!**


	9. telling the team

Emily bit her bottom lip as Garcia and JJ joined the rest of the team that were gathered in the bullpen. Hotch had a serious look on his face, although Emily was sure she could see a smile tugging at one corner. Morgan was grinning and greeting his tech queen and JJ had a confused look as she searched for an explanation.

After a small pause she glanced over to Reid then took a deep breath. "We have some news for the team" She began in an unsure voice. Morgan tried to neutralize his smile but Garcia's grew bigger as she noted Reid and Emily standing together. "Reid and I… We're together" She added.

The room was silent for a few moments before Garcia interrupted it with a big grin. "Ha! I told you!" She called to Rossi who rolled his eyes and smiled wryly.

"You couldn't have waited a couple more months?" Rossi asked while pulling out his wallet and handing Garcia a twenty dollar bill.

Emily's and Reid's eyes grew wider as the pair exchanged the money with Garcia looking smug. "You betted on us?" Emily choked out.

"Hey, I wasn't the only one!" Garcia remarked defensively. "JJ bet ten bucks you'd hook up on a case and Morgan bet a twenty on Reid making the first move"

Reid's cheeks tinted red and he smiled awkwardly, his eyes glancing round the room like an embarrassed child. Emily smirked and mumbled "Well, looks like Morgan's out of pocket then"

Morgan's smile dropped and his eyes locked on Reid. "You're telling me I gave you all that man to man advice and you still left it to her?"

"With all due respect, have a beer and talk to her wasn't the best man to man advice I've had" Reid stated then grinned when Morgan laid a playful punch on his shoulder.

"Ok, admittedly it wasn't my _best _pep talk but you could have at least tried!"

"Come on, Sugar. Where's my twenty?" Garcia questioned with a sudden serious look as she held out a hand. Morgan quietly grumbled as he pulled out his wallet and handed over two ten dollar notes, Garcia's smile returning once she had the money.

"You owe me for this, kid" He added while placing his wallet back in his pocket.

"You're just not a betting man, Morgan" Emily shrugged, a laugh slipping through her voice as Morgan shook his head with a wry smile playing on his lips.

"What about my ten bucks?" Rossi asked when the laughter had died down a little.

"Oh, come on Dave. You live in a mansion! What are you gonna do with ten dollars?" JJ said in disbelief.

"Hang it in my trophy hall… Now hand it over" He added with a serious look as she raised an eyebrow, his eyes still sparkling from the laughter they'd just shared.

"Goodbye Henry's dinner" JJ called dramatically while handing over the money which made everyone grin.

"If you guys have finished betting in an FBI office" Hotch said which earned a few smiles from the group. "Our working hours are over" He added with a soft smile.

"I say we drop by a bar and celebrate properly… Biggest bet winner buys the first round" Morgan said cheerfully as the team began a slow walk toward the elevator.

"On a Monday? You've gotta be kidding me, right? I can barely get out of bed with a good night's sleep" Emily complained.

"I'm with Em on this one" JJ agreed. "I'd have my warm bed over a nightclub any day"

"Aw, come on! I've waited years for this day!" Morgan whined as the group piled into the elevator.

"Sorry, sugar. You're on your own for this one" Garcia added as the elevator jumped to a halt at the bottom floor.

"I'll get you guys to a bar eventually" Morgan mumbled as they made their way outside to the parking lot.

The team parted ways once outside the FBI building, each going to their separate cars except for Reid and Emily who got into the woman's car together.

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"Are you okay?" Reid asked after he'd observed Emily's worried look for a few moments.

Emily's eyes glanced up and she quickly nodded with a weak smile. "My mom is coming back from her trip to Italy on Friday. She wants to meet up for coffee"

"Well, that might be a good thing" Reid said cheerfully. "You have the opportunity to talk to her about everything that's happened"

"But how am I supposed to tell her? Hi mom, I met your mom, brother and his kids over the weekend, just thought you might like to know" Emily said sarcastically as she slumped down into her sofa with a disgruntled look.

Reid smiled softly then sat down next to her. "A lot happened over the weekend. Why don't you explain some of what happened this time you see her and leave the rest for next time" He offered.

Emily thought for a moment then nodded with a weak smile. "I'll tell her about us this time" She stated in a determined voice. "That's more important anyway" She added as her smile grew into a grin.

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Emily's breathing stopped for a moment as her mom walked into the coffee shop. The ambassador's eyes sought out her daughter before she strode toward the counter, quickly placing her order then making her way to Emily's table.

"Hello, Emily" Elizabeth greeted as she sat down opposite her daughter. A short while later her coffee was brought over to Elizabeth who smiled politely to the brunette waiter before he left the table. "How have you been?" She asked after taking a sip of the steaming hot liquid.

Emily's mouth went dry and her mind blank for a moment before she put on a smile and cleared her throat. "We've had a week without a case so I've had some time to catch up with the team. Spencer and I have had a lot of time to talk, too" She began, her voice becoming unsure on the second sentence.

"Oh, Spencer" Elizabeth said with a smile of familiarity. "Nice boy, very smart" She added knowingly.

Emily's cheeks turned the lightest shade of pink as she held in a blush and a smile. "He is an adult, mother" She commented then took a sip of her drink to distract herself.

"Of course" Elizabeth agreed. "He just has a very young face. Especially for a mind as large as his" She added then thought for a moment with a distracted look. "I was told he was on the same level as Einstein"

Emily smiled fondly at the memory of her genius before she brought her mind back to the coffee shop. "He is pretty smart" She mumbled while shaking the thoughts from her head. "There's something I need to tell you about Spencer, though" Emily added which made Elizabeth raise an eyebrow. "Spencer and I… We're in a relationship" She blurted out with Elizabeth's hard eyes locked on her.

Elizabeth sighed, sat back in her seat and took a sip of coffee. "He works for the FBI, Emily. It's an honourable job but not one that will take him anywhere" She stated with a disappointed, but unsurprised, look.

"He likes his job at the BAU" Emily argued defensively.

"He may well do but two profilers' pay packets won't be enough to raise a child with" Elizabeth chipped with disinterest in her voice.

"Mother" The profiler growled.

"You know I'm right, Emily. What do you suppose will happen at your wedding when your team leader drags you onto the jet before the reception has finished? Or when you're too busy catching killers to see your child's first steps?" Elizabeth persisted.

"Stop it" Emily ordered with an angry look, she knew telling her was a bad idea. "You missed my first everything because you couldn't be bothered to be my mother"

"Emily, we both know that isn't true" the ambassador waved off.

"Oh, really? Where were you for my first steps? First words, potty training, learning to ride a two wheeler… Where were you then, mom? You missed it all!"

I had a job" Elizabeth retorted, her demeanour becoming less pleasant as the conversation continued.

"A job that took my mom away" Emily finally snapped then stood to leave. "And one more thing, if Spencer and I want to be in a relationship it's not your place to judge. My family, my _real_ family, support us and theirs is the only opinion I care about. And when Spencer and I have children, we'll treat them ten times better than you ever treated me" She snarled before striding out of the coffee shop.


	10. meeting Bethany

Emily burst through the front door to her apartment, slammed it behind her and through her bag on the floor. Reid was in the kitchen at the time, making a fresh pot of coffee, when he heard the commotion. "Em?" He called in a slightly unsure voice as the sound of a door being kicked resounded through the apartment.

The room went quiet for a moment then a shoe scuffed against the floor and a thump shook one of the walls. He quickly put down the coffee and ran to see Emily looking round at the room for something to take her anger out on. "Emily, what's wrong?" He asked and grabbed her hands to stop her moving.

Emily's teeth ground together as her eyes flicked around at everything but Reid until she had calmed down. She let out a tension filled sigh and glanced up at Reid which made her feel even worse. How could her mom talk about him like that? Sure, it was going to be difficult but she'd never give up on him. "I'm sorry" She whispered while placing a hand on his cheek.

"What happened?" Reid asked in a concerned voice, his gaze never moving from hers.

"It doesn't matter. _She_ doesn't matter… not anymore" She mumbled and pulled him into a tight hug, her face nuzzling into his neck as she breathed deeply.

Reid hugged her for a few moments then pulled away and looked back at her. "I'm going to get us some coffee then we can talk about this, ok?" He said softly and squeezed her hand for reassurance before going to the kitchen, pouring two cups of coffee and settling down on the sofa next to Emily. He carefully passed her a cup, being sure not to spill any of the hot liquid, then picked his own up and took a sip.

"I'm sorry" Emily repeated after a long silence. "She just makes me so angry"

Reid smiled weakly. "Everyone gets angry sometimes" He said then reached to hold her hand.

"She didn't even care when I told her about us" She stated in a defeated tone. "She just said it would never work"

"How would she know? Just because it won't be the relationship she thinks you need doesn't mean it won't be good" Reid assured her with a warm smile which brightened her eyes a little.

"She said we wouldn't be good parents" Emily confessed in a barely audible voice, a tear pressing at one eye.

Reid quickly pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back soothingly, holding her tight until her tears had subsided. "We are gonna be the best parents ever, ok? You're going to be an incredible mom and our kids are going to love you more than anything" He whispered while gently brushing a stray tear off her cheek.

"I'm being stupid again, aren't I?" She asked while stifling a laugh as the tears that had sprung from sadness turned to joy.

Reid softly kissed her lips then shook his head. "Not at all"

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"But what's she like?" Bethany persisted after her brother and mom had showered the mystery woman with praise.

"Stop worrying, Bethany" Mary said with a fond smile. "She's very sweet and I'm sure you'll like. Eli warmed to her which is saying something!"

"Oh, come on" Eli complained at his mom's teasing. "You're telling me you weren't even a little suspicious of two people randomly turning up at your door?"

"Hush, Eli" Mary teased. "Emily and Spencer are lovely-" She began her praising of the couple again but was interrupted by the door bell ringing. "Eli, get the kids from the yard and I'll get the door" She instructed. Eli quickly jumped up and went down the corridor to the back door that opened up to the yard where five of the six kids were playing while Bethany held Ella.

Mary smiled softly at her granddaughter after opening the door and greeting them. "Eli is just bringing the kids round from the backyard, Bethany managed to make it round though" She quickly explained while leading the two profilers into the living room. "This is Bethany" Mary added as the woman smiled politely at her niece.

"I'd shake your hand but…" Bethany paused and motioned her eyes toward the sleeping baby in her arms. Emily smiled back at the woman then at the little baby with fondness.

"How old is she?" Emily whispered once they were settled into their seats.

"Two months" Bethany responded, her voice a little louder than Emily's. "She sleeps like a log though. She's got to with the boys running round" She added before a sound of running came along the corridor. "Speak of the devil" She murmured as three boys of varying ages sauntered into the room with Scarlett and Oliver behind them. "Boys, this is your cousin Emily and her boyfriend Spencer. This is Andy, Joe, Tommy and you've already met Ella" Bethany introduced, each boy nodding or waving when his name was said.

The oldest boy, who Bethany had called Andy, glanced at his shy brothers before stepping forward and offering his hand to Emily. "I'm sixteen, Joe's thirteen and Tommy's nine" He said while shaking Emily's hand then taking a step back and sitting down in between Joe and his mom. Tommy crawled onto Bethany's lap and Oliver got onto his father's while Scarlett stood staring at the couple.

"You still aren't married" She stated. The adults in the room smiled wryly while the two youngest boys let out a giggle. Scarlett glanced round with an impatient glare before turning her attention back to the couple. "You haven't got a ring. Married people have a ring" Scarlett added while pointing at Emily's hand.

"That's because Spencer and Emily don't want to get married yet" Mary explained while pulling Scarlett onto her lap.

"But they have to be! Grownups are supposed to fall in love and get married!" The girl exclaimed, becoming more and more frustrated as the conversation progressed.

"Hey, why don't you go take Ollie and Tom out into the backyard?" Eli whispered to Scarlett who paused for a few moments to think then nodded, took both boys' hands and pulled them out of the room. "She can be a little eccentric sometimes" Eli added in an apologetic voice.

Emily nodded and smiled in an accepting way before a short pause. "She is right though" Andy suddenly said. "You guys should get married"

**I wanted to bring Bethany and her kids into the story but I also wanted to have a moment for just Reid and Emily. I think Emily's family are still going to be a big influence in the story but there should always be a scene that's centred on Reid and Emily in each chapter. Hope you liked the chapter and please review if you've got time! It really encourages me to write the next chapter!**


	11. the proposal

Emily slid into the car next to Reid. The sun had set in the previous hour and they'd only just left Mary's house. "That was interesting" She said while starting the car. Reid smiled weakly and nodded. "Everything ok? You seem a little distant" She added once they'd got onto the highway.

"I was just thinking about what Mary said" Reid replied in a quiet, almost tired, voice. Emily's mind skipped back to the previous weekend when she'd said the same thing, before she'd voiced her feelings for him. Reid seemed to have done the same thing and was smiling softly at the memory as cars sped past the SUV. "Not just what Mary said" He corrected himself. "Scarlett and Andy too"

Emily's smile took a nervous turn when she figured it out. "You know what little girls are like, they love the idea of a wedding" Emily mumbled while subconsciously picking up speed on the SUV. "Andy was probably just trying to tease you. And Mary… well, she's as bad as the boys"

"Yeah, I know" Reid murmured but he didn't look convinced. "I, um…" Reid bit his bottom lip then shook his head. "Never mind"

"Come on, Reid. You were going to say something"

"It doesn't matter" Reid whispered.

Emily sighed then quickly pulled the car over. "I might not have an IQ of 187 but I know when someone is holding something back. We're together now, ok? Which means we can talk about this" She said then gently squeezed his hand.

"It's just… I've… I've liked you in that way for years and I just feel strange about marriage" Reid explained in a slow, faltering voice.

"We don't need to get married, Reid" Emily said with a small laugh slipping through her words.

"But I want to" Reid blurted out then turned bright red. "Eventually, I mean. I never thought we'd actually be like this and I just… I want to be able to say that I waited for a reason"

Emily smiled from ear to ear at his embarrassment before pulling him into a tight hug. "We seemed to end up like this a lot, huh" Emily whispered into his neck while rubbing his back soothingly.

Reid smiled softly then replied in a hushed voice "Perks of the job"

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Emily strolled out of the bullpen, with Morgan just behind her, and down the corridor to Garcia's lair. Once she reached the empty she looked round in confusion. "She's not here"

"I guess that means lunch is just us and Reid" Morgan said with a shrug then turned to leave, bumping into JJ.

"Pen and Reid went to lunch already" JJ stated then paused. "I think they said something about trying out a new coffee shop"

"Well, we're heading to the Thai place a couple blocks from here. You coming?" Morgan asked as he and Emily backed out of the lair and toward the exit.

"I can't, I've gotta pick something up for Henry… have fun, though" JJ smiled then turned down another corridor.

"I guess it's just us then" Morgan shrugged again then followed Emily out of the exit and toward the restaurant.

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Reid glanced over the counter filled with rings and surrounded with glass. His eyes skipped over each ring, lingering for a few moments on some but deciding none were right. "This is impossible, how am I supposed to find it an hour?"

"Come on, Reid. These look alright" Garcia called while pointing at another counter.

Reid studied the ones Garcia had been pointing at then shook his head. "They aren't right"

"Oh, I know! We could use her birthstone!" Garcia said in excitement.

"Emily doesn't like opals" Reid mumbled while running a finger along the glass.

"You guys found it yet?" JJ called as she walked through the jewellery store door and approached. Garcia shook her head and Reid half smiled awkwardly. "Picky, huh?" She added with a grin.

"What about diamonds. You can't get better than diamonds, right?" Garcia said while strolling toward the diamond counter. Reid looked hopeful as he followed the tech queen and glanced at the rings.

"She wouldn't want anything too big" Reid added as his eyes glided through the counter. "I like that one" He said while pointing to a silver band with a large diamond placed in the centre and smaller ones encrusted around the edge. "But it's not the one" He added after a moment of thinking.

Garcia sighed and scanned the large store. "There's no way we're going to get through all of this today"

"We can come back tomorrow to look at the rest" JJ offered then took on a determined look. "I'll look on the left side, Garcia take the right side and Reid can take the back part. It won't take too long between the three of us" She instructed then both women moved to their sections. Reid watched them for a few moments then sighed and went to the back of the store.

His eyes glided over the rings unenthusiastically, not believing he'd find it, until he paused on one ring. It had several strands of gold and platinum intertwining with a diamond set in the middle, tiny rubies and sapphires surrounding the stone. Reid smiled down at the ring proudly, this was it. He had known once he saw the ring he'd know and he definitely knew then.

"I've got it" Reid whispered to himself. "I've got it" He repeated a little louder. Both blondes' heads spun round and they quickly approached, wanting to see the mystery ring. Once their eyes fixed on the ring the both gasped then smiled widely.

"It's perfect" Garcia exhaled, her voice touching on disbelief.

JJ squeezed his shoulder lightly. "She's gonna love it, Spence"

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Reid ran a finger over the lip of his coffee mug then glanced up at the three eyes fixed on him. The coffee shop he'd chosen for that day was one he'd been to a few times but usually alone, it had a calm vibe about it that Reid kept coming back for. Very few people were in the coffee house making Reid's group half of the occupants.

"Come on, Reid. My heart can't take much more of this dramatic build up" Rossi joked although there was a nervous touch to his smile.

"You guys all know I think of you as family, right?" Reid said softly, his eyes only looking up at the other agents for a moment or two before falling back to the table.

Morgan glanced over to the two older agents then swallowed his fear. "Of course we do but what's this about? You're starting to worry us, man"

"And Emily thinks of you family too, right?" Reid continued but no one answered him this time. "So I'd like to ask your permission to… to marry Emily" He finally blurted out.

All three profilers smiled widely at the younger man. "Of course we would" Hotch agreed in an unusually gentle voice.

"Congrats, kid" Morgan grinned while patting his friend on the back. "You might have taken years to get going but you're finally getting there" He added with a laugh slipping through his voice.

"You treat her well, you hear me?" Rossi warned with fake sternness. "I can be a pretty convincing father in law when I need to be"

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"They're going to be here in ten minutes" JJ said in a hushed voice after hanging up the phone. Hotch, Rossi, Reid and Morgan were gathered close by. "Garcia is going to keep Emily away for as long as she can but we probably won't have more than a few minutes to get them in here. The first car will have Bethany, her husband James, Andy, Joe, Tom and Ella in. The second will have Mary, Eli, Scarlett and Oliver. Hotch and Rossi, take them round the back and up the fire escape." She instructed before the two men left the bullpen. "I'll go down to the reception and help Garcia hold her off" She added before following Rossi and Hotch.

Reid reached down into his pocket and felt the hard shape of the ring's case. He took a deep breathes and tried to relax even with his heart pounding.

"It's gonna be fine, man. Just try to relax" Morgan said when he noticed his nervous look. "The ring is incredible and Emily's whole family is gonna be here to see this"

"That's what I'm worried about" Reid mumbled and scuffed his shoe against the carpet of the bullpen. "If I mess this up in front of everyone she'll never forgive me"

"You're not gonna mess this up" The older man encouraged.

Morgan was about to say something else when Rossi and Hotch made a quick walk through the bullpen with Emily's family close behind. "You can wait in here until she gets here" Rossi stated in a hushed voice as the group piled into the briefing room. The Italian pulled down the blinds and closed the door so no one could see them then walked back to the bullpen and smiled. "Not getting cold feet, are you?" He grinned.

Reid quickly shook his head and smiled weakly as Hotch joined the other three men. "You're gonna do great" Morgan whispered before they dispersed into different areas of the bullpen. Morgan strolled off to his desk, Rossi leaning against the bars of the bullpen and Hotch standing by the steps leading to the catwalk.

A moment or two later JJ burst through the door. "She's coming!" The blonde rushed in a loud whisper before quickly skulking off toward Hotch.

As Emily entered she glanced round at the strangely quiet room. Garcia hung back a few steps and pulled the video camera out of her bag, turned it on then hid it behind her back. Reid was studying the floor, his cheeks already pink, but when he heard footsteps coming closer he lifted his head and smiled softly.

"What's going on?" Emily whispered in confusion while glancing round, realizing now that everyone was smiling widely. Reid looked back at the briefing room, the door slowly opened to reveal Eli who glanced back into the room before he led the group out. "What are they doing here?" Emily asked, her eyes shined with confusion.

Reid licked his lips out of habit then cleared his throat and carefully got down on one knee. Garcia quickly whipped out her video camera while JJ pulled out a camera to take photos and both blondes edged closer. "Emily, I've known you for three years, seven months and twelve days… and I've never been happier than in that time" As he spoke Eli led the group along the side of the catwalk to watch from the top while the other team members moved closer to the couple.

"When I first met you I tried telling myself it was just a crush but the more I got to know you… the more I fell in love" Emily smiled even more when he said this then took one of his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I never thought I'd have enough courage to tell you how much you mean to me but I guess I learnt more from you than to have a sense of humour" The room's occupants let out a little laugh but his eyes simply glistened.

"As much as Morgan and you like to tell me, I don't know everything" He said which earned him another laugh. "But I'm learning. This team has taught me so much and it still does. They've taught me how to keep trying if I don't get it right the first time and to be brave" He added then slowly pulled the box out of his pocket. "I was always trying to tell you how I feel and I'll keep trying if this doesn't go right… But right now I need to be brave" He whispered the last sentence then opened the box, revealing the ring that shone in the bright lights. "I've never believed in anything more than I believe in this so… Will you marry me?"

**Oooh, cliff hanger! I felt all mushy in the last couple days so there was a lot of fluff in this one but hopefully it wasn't too much. I wanted to show that the team were as much a part of Emily's family as Mary and the others were so hopefully that was clear. This chapter is a little longer than usual and hopefully I can keep spending a little extra time adding to each chapter. Please review if you've got time, it means so much when you do and it's really encouraging. Hope you liked the chapter! Update coming next Tuesday!**


	12. the answer

Emily's grip loosened on Reid's hand for a moment. Had he really just said that? Her mouth went dry and her tongue felt like it had been tied in a knot. Was this Morgan's idea of a practical joke? She looked down at Reid's sincere look and knew it couldn't be. He really meant this.

She took a deep breath and smiled slightly. "Yes" The word seemed to come out on its own accord. The next thing Emily knew, she was begin pulled into an unbelievably tight hug and the room was full of cheers and clapping. When she finally separated from Reid she noticed the two cameras trained on her and blushed slightly. "I'll get you back for this" She whispered to Reid who was squeezing her hand as his cheeks turned bright red.

"Come on, guys" Morgan cheered loudly. "Kiss, kiss, kiss" He began chanting, getting louder each time.

"Oh, leave them alone" JJ said and waved a hand at the muscular man. "I think we embarrassed them both enough for one day"

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Reid took a sip of champagne and half smiled as Morgan patted him on the back. Gathered around him were the men of the engagement party, all laughing and making jokes. I'm not kidding, Spencer" James said with a soft laugh. "That was one heck of a proposal. All I did was take Bethany to a fancy restaurant. You've definitely set the bar on this one"

"Our genius always has a few tricks up his sleeve" Rossi said with a proud smile, he'd never admit it but the profiler thought of Reid and Emily almost like his children and couldn't be happier at that moment.

"Just ask him" A hushed voice instructed from a distance a few moments before Andy stumbled forward.

"Hey dad, could I have some champagne?" Andy asked with a nervous but charming smile.

James rolled his eyes, his grip on the glass tightening slightly as he turned toward his son. "Andy, you're sixteen" He growled with a fiery look. "Go back to the other kids or you'll spend the rest of the day back in the hotel"

Andy sighed and traipsed back to the younger kids with his head hung, he didn't see why he had to hang out with the children when he was almost an adult himself. As James turned back to the group with a fixed smile Eli glanced at the others with an apologetic look. "Little tyke" James murmured. "Hopefully Emily won't want the little devils, for your sake" He added with his eyes locked on Reid.

The youngest profiler blushed slightly and shrugged. Morgan, sensing the other man's discomfort, took over. "I think any kid lucky enough to have Reid and Emily as parents will be too busy being incredible at everything to care about alcohol"

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Emily gently bounced the little girl that was resting in her arms. "You're so good with her" Bethany spoke softly with a touch of surprise in her voice.

"Will and I put her through basic training with our son" JJ said with a wink which made the girls giggle. "All I'm saying is if you can handle Henry having a tantrum you can deal with anything"

"Henry?" Mary questioned while watching the blonde boy play with Oliver and Jack. "He doesn't look so bad"

"Oh, those baby blues hold a lot more tears than you'd think possible" Garcia warned. "And his toy throwing ability would make javelin throwers jealous" She added with a grin.

"So, Emily… You thinking about it?" Bethany asked when the laughter died down.

"Thinking about what?" She asked after tearing her eyes from Ella.

"Come on, don't play dumb" Bethany teased.

"Bethany's got a point, Emily" Mary agreed. "It won't be long till we hear wedding bells… who's to say we can't hear some baby bells too?"

Emily blushed slightly then carefully handed Ella back to Bethany's awaiting arms. "I, uh, I'd have to talk to Reid about it" She mumbled embarrassedly.

"Talking Smalking" Garcia grinned and waved a hand. "You're both crazy about kids, Em! Just get to it, if you know what I mean" She added with a wink which made Emily blush even more.

"Alright, Pen" JJ said, interlocking her arm with the blonde. "You embarrass her anymore and her cheeks will set on fire"

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Scarlett stood in the hotel room lounge, in her blue monkey pajamas, with an impatient look. In front of her Eli, Mary, Reid and Emily stood discussing something she wasn't interested in. She waited a few more moments then noisily cleared her throat and raised an eyebrow at the group.

The adults turned to the little girl and stifled a laugh at her serious look. "Hey, sweetie. What are you doing out of bed?" Eli asked while kneeling down by his daughter.

"You didn't tuck me in" She said simply, her eyes fixed on her father's.

"Oh, ok. Come on then, I'll tuck you in now" He said and took her hand.

"No! I want Emily to tuck me in!" Scarlett called and ripped her hand free.

"Ok, Scarlett, it's ok" Eli quickly hushed the girl. "Emily will tuck you in, alright?" He said comfortingly with his hands on her shoulders.

Emily quickly strolled over to the girl, offered her hand and led her into the adjoining bedroom. There were two single beds in the small room; the furthest one was already occupied by the sleeping body of Oliver. Scarlett slowly climbed into bed and Emily pulled the blankets up to her chin. "Is that alright?" She asked while running a hand over the girl's cheek.

Scarlett smiled sleepily and nodded. "Does this mean you're married now?" She questioned when Emily stood to leave the room.

The profiler thought for a moment then sat down at the chair close to the little girl's bed. "Not quite" She said in a soft voice. "But it means that me and Spencer are going to get married really soon, ok?" After Emily got a hesitant nod she smiled again and brushed the few strands of hair out of Scarlett's face. "Sleep well" She whispered "me and Spencer will see you tomorrow"

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"Alright kids" Morgan greeted while slapping his hands together. In the small hotel room lounge everyone, including the team of profilers, had gathered and were waiting with anticipation. "Where do you wanna go first?" He asked eagerly.

"David's house" Joe blurted out. "That place was _huge_" He added with a grin.

"Remember children: I have a _mansion_, not a house" Rossi corrected the boy while smiling which earned him a round of laughs.

"Alright, mansions aside" Emily said after the noise died down. "Is it alright if we head over to yours?" She asked Rossi.

"Of course it is!" The Italian man said with a soft smile at the couple. "The pool will be the perfect temperature by time we get there and the hot tub only takes a few minutes to fire up" He stated while leading the group out of the hotel room.

"Hot tub?" Joe and Andy repeated in unison with grins plastered on their faces. "Dibs!" Andy called.

"Boys" James warned with a stern look, their smiles faltering slightly. "The hot tub is for adults only"

Rossi's eyes narrowed on James for a moment then looked ahead again; the way that man treated his kids was starting to get on his nerves. "I'm sure they'll be enough room for Andy and Joe" Rossi spoke cheerfully as they piled into the elevator, squeezing in to make room for everyone. "Besides, I'm sure the boys now how to behave, Right, boys?"

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Oliver belly flopped into the large indoor pool, Tommy close behind as he cannon balled off the diving board and splashing the surrounding area. Morgan was next onto the diving board, flexing his muscles at the laughing boys before jumping into the warm water and creating an even larger splash.

A few feet away Bethany, JJ, Garcia and Emily were relaxing in a steaming hot tub. "I'm telling you" JJ said in an almost delirious voice, the two glasses of champagne she had had early catching up with her and mixing with her relaxed mood. "He had _no_ idea about twilight… You would have thought he would have some clue when he fancied the girl who played vampire dress up"

Emily dropped her mouth in embarrassment and quickly threw a wave of water JJ's way which made the other women laugh even more. "He was so confused even after you trying to explain" Emily stated then took a sip out of her glass. "I had to watch every single one of those movies with him… Apparently he didn't understand something about that demon baby or whatever that thing was"

"You mean vampire baby" Garcia corrected with a grin. "I'm pretty sure you'd be hung by your toes if you told their fans you thought they were demons" She spluttered.

"That god awful movie has _fans?" _Emily choked out.

Back in the pool Andy was swimming under the water, the babble of laughter and talking muffled by the liquid. His eyes fixed on the wanted object and he expertly manoeuvred himself round so he was underneath it. He shot a hand up, locked onto his younger brother's foot and gave a tug downwards.

"Help!" A shrill voice screamed as its owner was dragged deep under the water. "Shark!"

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James leant against the kitchen counter as Rossi placed the last of the barbequed food onto a platter, a beer in the younger man's hand. As James drained his fourth beer bottle he let out a satisfied sigh and dropped the green glass container on the side. "Spencer must have had one hell of a night with Emily… if you know what I mean" He grinned stupidly and winked, his breathing stinking of alcohol.

Rossi rolled his eyes and glanced at Hotch to prove his early point that James was a creep. The team leader eyed the older agent then turned to James. "We both tend to think of Emily as family" He stated, a growl pulling at his voice.

James laughed drunkenly, slapped a hand on one knee and shook his head. "So you're into _that_ kinda stuff"

Rossi ignored Hotch's held out hand that told him to leave it and dropped his spatula on the tray. "I don't know how you do things back home but when you're here with my family you behave yourself, understood?" He snarled and waved a finger menacingly at him.

"Wow, calm down bossman" James slurred as he helped himself to another beer. "I'm just having some fun, maybe you should try it sometime" He said while walking toward the pool area. "Grubs up!"

**Looks like James might not be such a nice guy… I was having a lot of trouble writing this chapter and putting the general plan of what I wanted to happen into a full chapter but I'm pretty happy how it eventually turned out. Mary didn't appear too much in this one because there was just so much going on it was hard to squeeze her in, especially with the type of personality she's got. I wanted Emily to have some time with her cousins which she hasn't had much of and I'm pretty happy how Scarlett and Emily's relationship is going. Anyway, hopefully you enjoyed the chapter. Please review if you've got time, it means so much when you do!**


	13. pool time and an arguement

Andy's smirk peered over the swirling water as his younger brother, Joe, coughed and spluttered after emerging from the pool. The younger boy pushed his sopping wet hair out of his face and scrubbed the water from his eyes. Once Joe's breathing had recovered he smashed a hand into the water which caused a large wave to hit against Andy.

"Grubs up!" Their father's voice rang out around the pool room, they both knew instant he had been drinking but chose to ignore it as the clambered out of the water and toward the group of bodies moving to the table.

Rossi and Hotch exchanged looks as they strolled to the almost full table with trays of barbequed food. They set the trays down in the centre of the table, eyed James then handed out the plates. The group quickly dug into the food, Andy carefully watching his two younger brothers for anything his father might pick on.

Small conversations were bursting out across the table. The girls seemed to be continuing the topic they'd enjoyed in the hot tub, Morgan was teasing Reid about something that had happened in the pool and the younger children were giggling loudly.

Toward the end of the meal all the conversations paused at the same time long enough for Bethany's voice pleading with James. No one could make out the exact words but it still made the group suddenly feel uneasy, Bethany turned bright red and James took a sip of beer with a fiery look in his eye.

"I was thinking we could go out for dinner" Rossi said in an attempt to break the awkward atmosphere. A few mumbled agreements pushed him onwards. "I know a nice Italian place not far from here, we could-" Rossi was suddenly cut off by the now empty beer bottle being slammed onto the table.

"How 'bout us guys go to a bar… You girlies won't mind looking after the kids for a while, will ya?" James slurred with a stupid grin.

The room's atmosphere changed again, making everyone except James suddenly uncomfortable. Bethany looked around with an apologetic look, Andy was eying Hotch with the suspicion he was going to say something and Emily had taken Reid's hand in hers.

"I think the Italian restaurant might be a better plan" Mary said in the calmest voice she could manage. "That way everyone can come"

James narrowed his eyes on the older woman, his expression suddenly fiery with anger. "She can fix the kids some food while we're at the bar" He growled after violently motioning his head to Bethany.

"James, please" Bethany begged, her voice barely audible. Scarlett's face was scrunched in confusion and she was tugging nervously on Eli's arm in search of comfort. Andy bit his bottom lip and was holding Tommy and Joe's arms in an attempt to protect them.

"We're going to the bar" James snarled at Bethany, his face contorted in fury.

"James, stop it" Mary commanded in a steely voice but the man seemed untouched by her words.

"Why don't you and I take the plates to the kitchen, James?" Hotch offered as he stood and picked up a plate.

James jumped out of his seat but he had no intention of cleaning up. "You think you're so high and mighty, don't you? You're nothing but a stuck up snob" He bellowed and raised his hand.

"Do what Aaron says, James" Mary warned.

"Dad, please" Andy called, standing up and reaching out a hand to stop the inevitable.

James took a step away from the chair, evidentially ignoring his son's request, and took a swing at the team leader.

It might have been the alcohol that made James fall short of Hotch and stumble backwards, although it wouldn't have surprised anyone by that point if he just had terrible aim.

Hotch leaned back as the fist flew at him then grabbed the arm once it had passed him and twisted it round the owner's back. It only took him another couple of seconds to grab James' other hand and wrap it round his back, the man letting out a yelp of pain as he did so.

All three male agents, Eli and Andy stood to help Hotch but it was Morgan who grabbed James' free arm and pulled him toward the exit. Reid sat back down beside Emily and gave her a comforting smile, Andy took the spare seat next to his mom, Eli ruffled Oliver's hair and pulled Scarlett onto his lap and Rossi observed the group's emotions before taking his seat again.

A few minutes later Morgan and Hotch returned, minus James. Morgan sat back down in between Eli and Rossi while Hotch looked around the table. "I've told him to collect his things from the hotel and be gone by tonight" Hotch informed them when there was silence. He watched them for a few more moments then smiled weakly. "There's no reason to let it spoil the rest of the day though" He said as brightly as he could.

Smiles slowly spread throughout the group until Morgan couldn't take anymore. He dashed round the table, snatched up Oliver and tossed him into the pool. Outbursts of shrieking and laughter broke out; Eli wasn't far behind Morgan as he grabbed Tommy and flung him forward into the warm water. Joe grinned widely and dove in. Eli hopped into the pool and reached his hands up for Scarlett who he helped into the water before Morgan cannon balled in making the liquid lap up the sides.

Andy cast a nervous look toward his mom but stood after she gave him an encouraging expression and dove into the pool.

Garcia and JJ were already slipping into the pool and swimming toward the crowd when Bethany stood and strolled toward Hotch. "Thank you for that" She mumbled in embarrassment, her voice almost drowned out by the excited shouting.

"I did what your brother and any of my team would have done in a heartbeat" Hotch replied in a soft voice. "Why don't you join the others in the pool, Dave and I can handle the cleanup" He added as Rossi joined him. A moment or two later Mary was by their side.

"Why don't you join Eli and the others, Beth? I'll be over soon" Mary spoke softly, her voice almost calming. Bethany smiled weakly then turned and walked toward the pool.

A few feet away Emily glanced round with an anxious expression then turned back to Reid. Her hand was holding tightly to Reid's and she was resisting the urge to pick her nails. "It's ok, he's gone now" Reid spoke in a hushed voice in an attempt to comfort her. "After what Morgan and Hotch said to him he won't be coming anywhere near your family ever again" He added and softly palmed her cheek.

Emily bit her lip, looked round again then slowly nodded and smiled. "I think you better get in that pool before Morgan drags you in" She said through fits of laughing, in the pool the boys had gathered together and looked like they were plotting something.

Reid turned and smiled at the huddled group then looked back at Emily and planted a soft kiss on her lips. "Things are going to be okay, I promise" He said softly which made her smile even more.

"Go on, then" She instructed with a smirk. "Have fun!" She called as Reid ran toward the edge of the pool and jumped in.

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Reid sleepily rubbed his eyes and glanced around the hotel room. On the bed Andy, Joe and Tommy were sprawled out, the youngest boy almost falling asleep on Andy's leg. Emily was carefully passing Ella back to her mom who was sitting in an armchair in the corner and Hotch's voice could be heard from the corridor.

"We better be going" Emily said after a yawn as she walked toward Reid. "We'll stop by tomorrow to see you guys off" She added as the couple strolled toward the door.

Once the door had closed behind them they could faintly hear Bethany's voice. "Alright, bed time. Andy, can you take Joe and Tommy over to their room for me, I'm gonna put Ella to bed"

Emily started down the corridor toward Eli's room but Reid hung back to talk to Hotch. Once he finished his phone call the team leader turned to him. "There's going to be a patrol car waiting for James outside Bethany's house. They'll let him collect his things then he'll be prohibited from going within a hundred yards of the family or their house" Hotch stated while sliding his phone into his trouser pocket.

"Thanks… Emily will feel a lot better when she knows he won't be causing any more trouble for Bethany and the kids" Reid said with an awkward half smile.

"I'm going to tell Bethany once the boys are in bed" He said in a monotone voice. "Strauss wants us in by nine tomorrow, you should try and get home soon" He added with a small smile before entering the hotel room. Reid nodded to himself then strolled down the corridor, knocked on one of the hotel doors and stepped inside.

"Em's in with Scarlett" Eli said with a yawn and a stretch. A few moments later Emily came out of the adjoining room with an equally tired look. "How was she?" Eli questioned once the door was securely closed.

"She was a little confused about what happened but I'm sure she'll feel better once she's back home" Emily said in a soft voice with a warm smile.

"I might not get a chance to see them tomorrow so could you thank Aaron and Derek for me?" Eli asked and quickly hugged Emily goodbye.

"Of course I will. I'll see you all tomorrow" Emily replied before her and Reid exited the hotel room and started their journey home.

**Sorry for the huge break in updates! My laptop cracked open and I had to take it back to the repair store, I didn't even have a chance to save anything to a memory stick. Thankfully, I had an awesome guy work really hard on my laptop so it was back with ten days of me giving it to him. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter, please review if you've got time! The updates will be back to normal from now on so expect something for Tuesday :)**


	14. goodbye till Saturday

Emily's eyes fluttered open, the alarm clock next to hear was buzzing loudly and didn't show any sign of stopping soon. A moment later a hand was in front of her face and turning off the machine. She glanced up and saw Reid pushing strands of his bed hair out of his face with a tie hanging undone round his neck. "Morning" Emily mumbled as she sat up and stretched.

Reid smiled weakly at her and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Eli called a few minutes ago" He stated in a rough voice, it was familiar to Emily now that he had a husky voice when he woke up. "He wants to leave soon. I made you some coffee for the drive to the hotel, if we leave soon you'll have ten minutes with them before they need to leave" He explained while reaching down to tie his tie.

Just over five minutes later Emily was slipping into the SUV's front passenger seat next to Reid, a steaming cup of coffee in her hand. She was sure she'd never been up this early and not been on a case. The sun was only just starting to peak over the buildings and the streets were almost completely empty. By time Reid pulled up outside the hotel the sky had turned from an inky purple to faded pink and both coffee cups were empty.

Inside the large group were sprawled across the foyer, the younger children asleep in chairs and adults' arms. Emily made a beeline to the centre of the cluster of sofas and chairs where Mary, Eli and Bethany were standing.

"Hey, Em" Eli greeted in a soft voice as he readjusted his hold on his son and glanced around the room. "Sorry for the early wake up call, I only got told last night I need to be back for work today at a normal time" He explained.

"It's no problem" Emily waved off. "This way Spencer and I can get in a little early and work on the pile of paperwork by our desks" She added in a cheerful way.

There was a small pause before Eli sighed and carried Oliver over to a spare sofa where he settled him down. "I'm gonna start up the cars" He said while making his way to the door.

Andy stood a few moments later, rubbed his eyes and strolled toward the group of adults. "I can help get some of the kids into the car if you need some help" He offered with a sleepy smile.

Bethany sighed with a relived look and softy bounced Ella. "They're all pretty tired so I'll definitely need your help" She said with a wide smile.

"Reid and I can help out" Emily said. "There's only five kids to get into the cars, that's only one kid each"

Bethany thought for a moment then nodded. "Alright, I'll take Joe, Em can take Scarlett" She paused to hand Ella over to Mary then continued. "Spencer can take Oliver… that just leaves Andy to take Tommy"

"It's like a military operation" Andy grinned before turning and strolling toward his youngest brother. He prodded the little boy a couple of times but, realizing he wasn't going to wake up any time soon, scooped him up and struggled toward the door.

Oliver continued to sleep on as Reid carefully picked him up and followed Emily who was holding Scarlett's hand and leading her outside. Bethany softly rubbed Joe's arm to wake him up and the pair left the hotel with Mary just behind.

As the older children piled into the cars Mary fumbled with the straps of Ella's car seat with a confused look. Reid, Bethany and Eli were running back and forth from the hotel as they tried to get the last of the bags packed so Emily decided to help out.

"I've never really understood these car seat things" Mary said while taking a step back to let Emily do it. "There are so many straps and buckles now I don't know how anyone can use them…"

Emily stepped back and smiled, Ella was secured in her chair, Andy and Joe were now settled either side of her and Eli was stuffing the last bag into the trunk of the car. She glanced over to the other car and saw Tommy, Scarlett and Oliver snuggling into each other as they slipped into a deep sleep.

The adults moved to the front of the car and Emily was pulled into a tight hug by her three family members. "I'll see you guys soon" She mumbled while being softly hugged by Bethany.

"I want you back in DC by Saturday" Eli warned as he pulled her into a tight hug.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world" She agreed with a wide smile. "If you need anything just call me or Spencer, alright?" She added once the adults were in their cars and the engines were started.

Emily waved until the car was out of sight then smiled softly and followed Reid back to their car.

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"I hate Mondays" Emily groaned, her head propped up on one hand as she used the other to take a sip of coffee.

"It's only been an hour!" Morgan grinned from his desk.

"For you, maybe, but Reid and I've been here for three hours!" The female profiler stated rather loudly.

"What possessed you to get up that early?" Morgan chuckled.

Emily's head was now resting on the desk, her arms lying on the paperwork so Reid answered for her. "We went to see off her family" He quietly explained while standing, taking a large chunk of Emily's paperwork and carrying it to his desk.

"You don't need to do that" She mumbled without lifting her head.

Reid smiled softly, sat back down and opened up one of the files. "It's fine, I've finished most of mine anyway" He replied while watching her attempt to sleep on the desk.

Emily might have been successful if it weren't for Garcia barrelling into the bullpen with a wide smile and a brightly coloured notebook. "Guess what!" She called while hurrying toward the trio.

"You've just found out we all have the day off?" Emily asked her with voice full of sleepy sarcasm.

"Oh, cheer up Charlie" Garcia grinned as she fumbled to get the book open. "I just found _the_ most amazing wedding dress designer" Reid's head shot up from the file with a confused look, was Garcia planning on getting them married this soon? "_And_ they do other wedding clothes too! I saw the most adorable little suits for the boys and Scarlett is gonna look so cute in this dress I saw-" Garcia rambled on, her eyes wide with enthusiasm.

"Let me guess" JJ said while approaching the group. "Wedding stuff" Groans and nods told the blonde she'd hit the nail on the head.

"Oh come on guys! Em and Reid are getting married! You could be a little more excited!" Garcia complained and dropped the notebook onto the nearest desk which happened to be Emily's.

"We do appreciate it, Pen" Emily said while lifting her head and turning her chair to look at her. "It's just, we only got engaged a couple of days ago" She reminded her.

"I know, I know" Garcia said softly. "This is the first proper BAU wedding though"

"What about JJ's?" Morgan said with a laugh.

"We didn't get to really plan hers! Plus, Reid and Emily are pretty clueless when it comes to this sort of stuff"

"Hey!" Emily and Reid called in unison. "We aren't that bad" Emily added as she picked up the notebook and flicked through.

"Reid did alright on the ring, didn't he?" Morgan piped up with a wide smile at the bickering.

"Alright, alright, I surrender" Garcia murmured while holding her hands up.

"You're still head of organising" Emily stated to cheer the woman up.

Garcia smiled weakly and nodded. "You guys aren't planning on staying engaged forever, right? You _will _get married eventually?" She asked hopefully which made the group burst out with laughter.

"Yes, Garcia" Emily said between laughing. "We'll get married eventually"


	15. a new case

Mary, Emily and Bethany crowded round the scrapbook Garcia had prepared for wedding plans. The current page they were looking at had three different suits for the boys as well as a few dresses for Scarlett and Ella. "Those suits are adorable" Bethany said while pointing to the gray suits with diamonds on the waistcoat and a black bow tie.

"They're my favourite too" Mary agreed. "Penelope has a very good taste in clothing" She added as she turned the page to the groom's and best men's suits.

A few moments later Eli walked in while carefully carrying a tray holding five cups. He settled the tray down on the coffee table then took a seat on the edge of the empty sofa. Mary passed the book to Emily who closed it, sat down next to Reid and picked up her cup of coffee.

"How are the kids?" Emily asked once everyone was settled. "It feels like a lifetime since I saw them"

"They're doing great" Bethany said brightly with a warm smile. "I was expecting a few problems when James left but they've coped really well"

Emily was going to say something but her phone buzzing stopped her. She mentally prayed that this wasn't Hotch calling them back to work; she'd been looking forward to Saturday since her family had gone back to DC. "Please tell me this isn't work related" Emily begged after standing and leaving the lounge to answer the call.

"Sorry, Em" JJ apologized softly. "It's a bad one; Hotch wants you and Spence to go straight to the jet, he'll brief you on the flight"

Emily sighed then agreed to meet them there and hung up. Reid had already guessed they were leaving by time the female profiler got back in the room and was saying his goodbyes.

"I'll see you next Saturday" Emily said as Reid joined her by the door.

Eli grinned and waved as the duo made their way outside. "Ten o'clock and not a minute later!"

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Emily tapped on the edge of the jet's table, slightly biting her lip as the plane took off and levelled out. A light flashed and the team hastily unbuckled their belts. JJ waited for everyone to settle down then passed out the case files. "Over the last three weeks there have been a string of attacks in nightclubs and bars along the coast of Florida. Three men sustained varying levels of facial injuries from being repeatedly pistol whipped and four women were shot. The man in the fourth attack, Jared Carlson, was beaten so badly it led to his death a few hours ago in hospital" She explained as the team examined photos of bloody faces and bullet wounds.

"He's escalating" Morgan stated as he laid the victims' photos along the table in order of attacks. "The first attack was finished within fifteen minutes. The woman was killed quickly and the man only sustained a mild concussion and bruising"

"But by the fourth attack the man died from his beating and the woman was shot in places to make her death slow" Rossi finished as he flicked through medical reports.

"When was the last attack?" Emily questioned.

"Three days ago today" JJ answered. "The attacks are between three and six days apart and, after Jared's death, the local PD requested our help to stop the UnSub before he has a chance to attack anyone else"

"How's he getting the couple alone?" Morgan asked.

"From the CCTV footage, we think he follows them into the unisex bathrooms and places an out of order sign on the door to stop interruptions" JJ said and closed her file. "He's been striking in bars along one road which only leaves him three bars to choose from. The head on the case is having undercover agents pose as a couple and take down the UnSub when he follows them inside a bathroom. They need us to work out who's the UnSub and give the agents a heads up"

"Sounds simple enough" Morgan said with a positive smile. "A few days enjoying ourselves in Florida bars" He added with a wide grin.

Hotch hid his small smile as he looked through the three bars they had to cover. "Alright, Rossi and I will take Wally's, Morgan and JJ can cover Red Graves and Reid and Prentiss can have Waterworks" He shared out the work then shut his file and sat back in his chair. Reid and Emily exchanged looks, was he really trusting them to be this impartial on their first case?

Morgan and JJ smiled reassuringly at the couple then stood and dispersed to relax in the final hour of the flight to Florida.

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Reid glanced round the local Floridian police department bullpen as Hotch finished his presentation of the UnSubs general profile. A few minutes later the profiling team were making their way out to the car park, all dressed strangely casual. "The attacks have all been between ten and one o'clock so look out for anyone becoming impatient during those hours" Hotch added as the team of six split into three groups. He wished the departing agents good luck then climbed into the driver's seat of an unmarked police car.

Emily made the decision to drive the car she'd be using, Reid seemed anxious and it was best to give him some time to collect his thoughts before they arrived at the bar. "Something on your mind?" Emily finally asked when she couldn't take the silence anymore.

Reid smiled weakly and shook his head to indicate no. "I'm just nervous about the case" He explained while pushing back the hair that had fallen into his face.

"It's going to be fine" Emily said in a soothing voice. "We'll have the guy by Tuesday and then we can go back home"

"What if something happens?"

"Nothing is going to happen" She stated softly. "This is going to be one of our easiest cases yet, alright? Nothing can go wrong, I promise"


	16. undercover at waterworks

Emily smoothly parked the SUV a couple of blocks from their assigned club, Waterworks, and took a casual stroll to the entrance with Reid beside her. Ten minutes later they entered the club, they're eyes gliding over the dance floor and bar area, looking for anyone suspicious. Reid was the first to notice the two undercover cops sitting at the bar, pretending to flirt, Emily seeing them a few moments later.

The duo ordered their drinks then made their way to a table in a quiet corner of the bar to survey the room, each of them taking discreet sips of water to dilute the alcohol and keep them sober.

Ninety minutes later something caught Emily's eye. A man in his late twenties was prowling the edge of the dance floor, his eyes paying particular attention to the couples. She whispered her suspicions to Reid then stood and made her way to the bar, ordered a round of drinks and searched for the man again. He must have seen her watching him and disappeared into one of the crowds but Reid still might be able to see him, Emily thought.

The female profiler quickly took the glasses then began the trip back to the table. It was as she turned the corner of the dance floor she knew something was wrong, someone's breath was on her neck and her hairs were standing on end. A moment later something cold and hard ran across her back, making her freeze.

"Don't scream or I'll kill you" A harsh voice growled in her ear then wrapped a hand round her arm. "You're gonna get your boyfriend and take him to the bathroom. Try anything funny and I'll cut you into pieces"

Emily quickly nodded and stumbled forward to the table Reid was at, her muscles unusually tensed by fear.

It only took Reid a few moments to notice the look in Emily's eye and the man hovering close beside her. He quickly stood and joined her side, noted the glint of a gun in his hand and decided not to protest.

Emily gripped Reid's hand, led him through the club and into the unisex bathrooms with the UnSub close behind after sticking a sign to the door. "Get in the corner" The man growled at Emily.

"Do what he says" Reid whispered when the woman refused to move. When Emily still didn't budge Reid gently tugged her arm until she was in the corner of the room the man had indicated to.

"Oh, what a good little boy you are" The UnSub snarled at Reid as he turned to face him, slamming the butt of the gun into his forehead before Reid had time to react.

Reid let out a yelp, which was smothered from the sound of music outside, and fell to the ground. Emily stumbled toward him, pulled him into a sitting position and pushed away the hand that was shielding his injury.

"Don't _pretend_ to care about him… You're all just like the others" The man growled as he paced around the small area.

Emily pushed the hair out of Reid's face and ran a hand over the forming bruise, Reid flinching as her finger brushed over the wound. "It's just a bruise, okay?" Emily comforted Reid while palming his cheek.

The UnSub roughly grabbed Emily's hair and dragged her back into the corner, obviously angered by the couple ignoring him. "You don't care about him!" He screamed while waving the gun round. He roughly ran a hand through his hair then pointed the weapon at Reid. "Get up"

Reid steadied himself on a bathroom stall then shakily got to his feet only to be knocked back down by the butt of the gun. Emily was back by Reid's side in seconds, this time checking a gash just above his left eye.

"Get back in the corner" The man ground out after pointing the gun directly at Emily.

"You can't do this… He hasn't done anything to you!" The female profiler defended while supporting Reid's back. The man grabbed Emily's hair again and slammed her against a wall, pushing the gun into her face.

"I'm gonna do whatever I like and no dumb bitch is gonna tell me otherwise" The man snarled while grinding the muzzle of the gun into Emily's cheek.

Reid's vision was starting to blur but as a last attempt he pulled himself to a standing position again and grabbed then UnSub's shoulder. "Leave her alone, it's me you want" He slurred, the man's body splitting into doubles.

The UnSub spun on his heel, his teeth gritted in fury as he grabbed Reid's arm and shoved him backwards. Emily took her chance and grabbed the arm that held the gun, twisting it round in an attempt disarm the suspect.

The man let out a bloodcurdling howl as the bone in his arm snapped and crunched out of place, the gun slipping out of his grip before all three people scrabbled forward to grab it. Emily reached it first then quickly straightened up and aimed it at the man's chest.

"Give me the gun" The UnSub instructed while holding out a hand for the weapon, a nervous shake in his voice.

"You alright, Reid?" Emily asked without taking her eye of the man. Reid was slumped against a far corner with his eyes scrunched shut in pain but managed to hold a thumbs up for a few seconds before dropping his hand down to his side.

"Turn around" She commanded. The man hesitated for a moment then obediently turned on the spot and offered his hands behind his back. Emily pulled a pair of cuffs out from behind her and restrained the suspect before pushing him out the door.

The two undercover agents rushed over to Emily almost immediately, the male agent grabbing the UnSub as the female peered inside the bathroom. "What happened? One minute you were by the table then you just disappeared"

"The UnSub must have gotten impatient and grabbed the first couple he could" Emily sighed while pushing the hair out of her face, her hands shaking as what had just happened caught up on her. "Call an ambulance, Reid's hurt" She murmured before going back into the bathroom to an unconscious Reid.


	17. in the hospital

Reid could distantly hear somebody talking but they sounded so far away he couldn't bring himself to open his eyes.

"How is he?" A soft woman's voice asked.

"He has a compound linear fraction to his skull and a few minor cuts and grazes to his forehead but he should be fine" A female voice answered. She sounded official which would probably make her a doctor, Reid thought.

"B-but he was knocked unconscious" The first woman stated, her voice was sounding more and more familiar to Reid.

"I understand that" The doctor said in a comforting voice. "But I assure you, he's going to wake up soon with a banging headache and wishing he had ducked that gun but other than that, he'll be fine"

Reid was sure he knew that woman's voice. Fading steps told him the doctor was leaving and the thought was confirmed when someone sat down beside him and brushed a few strands of hair out of his face. A gentle finger traced a line around one of the large bruises on his forehead before softly palming his cheek.

Reid's head had taken on a slow ache in the time he'd been conscious and was now thumping in his ears. He slowly fluttered his eyes open to be met by the sight of Emily smiling down at him, concern written across her face.

"Hey sleepyhead" Emily whispered as she pushed the hair back out of his face. "How's your head?"

"Painful" Reid answered in a rough voice then licked his dry lips. Emily quickly understood what he needed so poured a drink of cold water and passed it to him.

After taking a few sips of the cool drink Reid sat up in the hospital bed and ran a hand through his hair. "What happened?" He asked in a slightly less croaky voice than from before.

"Don't you remember?" Emily questioned as she found Reid's free hand and squeezed it tightly.

"I can remember grabbing his arm and him pushing me back… After that everything goes blank"

"You gave me enough time to grab the gun" She stated while subconsciously rubbing his hand with her thumb. "The undercover cops had no idea where we were, no one was looking for us… You probably saved both our lives"

Reid smiled to himself then glanced out of the window to the corridor outside, he was sure he'd heard more familiar voices.

Emily caught him looking and smiled slightly. "The team's been in the waiting room since you were brought in" She stated while standing up from her chair and moving to the door. "I'll be back soon; I think they'll be pretty pleased to hear you've come round"

Once Emily had left the private hospital room Reid laid his head back on the pillow and relaxed; Emily wasn't hurt and the team were fine.

A few minutes later his peace was disturbed by the sound of two sets of footsteps echoing up the corridor, approaching his room. He forced himself to sit back up and put on a brave face just before the door swung open revealing Morgan with Emily just behind him.

Morgan took on a relieved smile when he saw Reid wasn't too badly injured, if there hadn't been a scattering of cuts on his face you wouldn't know anything was wrong with him at all. "You scared us, man" He said while approaching Reid and patting him on the back. "Garcia hasn't stopped ringing since she heard the news. I'm surprised she didn't get the first flight here"

The younger man blushed slightly while keeping an embarrassed smile on his face, he really didn't see why they needed to fuss so much over him.

"Anyway, how're you feeling?" Morgan asked with slightly more concern than before.

"Fine" Reid fibbed, his headache had only gotten worse but he didn't want anyone to worry. "I'll be alright when we get back on the jet" He added when both Emily and Morgan gave him a sceptical look.

"There's no way you're flying in your condition" Emily stated while leaning against the frame of the door.

"It's only a linear fracture, Em" Reid complained in the tone of a told of child trying to be reasonable. "And the flight's only four hours, I'll be fine"

"You're not flying, Reid" The female profiler said in a stern voice. "I've spoken to Hotch and he agrees with me. I'm driving you back and you can rest up at home"

"But it's a thirteen hour drive!" Reid whined.

"Do I have to go get Hotch to bang your heads together?" Morgan questioned the bickering couple causing them to fall silent. "Emily is driving you back and you're gonna take a few days off to get better, alright?"

Reid slowly nodded in agreement so Emily did the same with a small smug smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. Morgan looked from one to the other for a few more moments then nodded to himself. "You guys are insane" He murmured while making his way to the door. "We'll probably be on the jet by tonight so we can get back and fill out the paperwork for tomorrow… You look after yourselves till you get back, alright?" He hung by the door till he got two more nods then left the room and strolled back to the group gathered in the waiting room.

Emily sighed and dropped into the hospital armchair closest to Reid's bed. "How's your head?" She asked again when she saw a slight wince he'd tried to hide.

Reid knew the game was up so resigned himself to lying back on the bed and staring up at the ceiling. "It hurts a little but it's nothing I can't handle" He answered in a soft, suddenly tired voice.

Emily watched Reid as his eyes slowly fluttered close despite him trying his hardest not to. As a last attempt to stay awake Reid turned on to his side and gazed up at Emily who gently brushed a few strands out of his face and softly kissed his cheek. "Get some sleep" She whispered into his ear before palming the side of his face. "I'll be right here the whole time, alright?" She added before he reluctantly shut his eyes. His breathing slowly steadied out and his muscles relaxed but Emily stayed by his side, occasionally pushing the hair out of his face or stroking his cheek to keep him in a deep, restful sleep.


	18. a week of recovery

A bump in the road shook Reid out of his light sleep. Emily silently cursed the pothole then glanced back to check on Reid who was knuckling the flakes of sleep out of his eyes. "When did I fall asleep?" He asked in a soft, sleepy voice.

"Just after we passed Jacksonville" Emily answered, her eyes returning to the road. "How's the headache?"

"Not too bad" Reid mumbled as he laid his head back on the car door and watched the scenery drift past. "How long till we're home?"

"A little over three hours" Emily replied as she switched lanes and slightly increased the car's speed.

Reid nodded then went back to blankly staring out the window. A few minutes later the silent of the car was disrupted by Emily's phone letting off a loud ringtone. The raven hair woman quickly answered it and decreased the speed of the car. "Hey, Mary" she called once her eyes were back on the road.

"Hello, Emily" Mary greeted in a voice tipped with relief. "Are you still driving? I can call again later if I'm distracting you"

"No, its fine, you're on loud speaker so I can talk" Emily quickly explained.

"Oh, that's good then" Mary said with a smile as she settled down on a chair in her kitchen. "How is Spencer?"

"He's fine" Emily stated after glancing back to check on him.

"That's good to hear… Eli and Bethany have been so worried about him" Mary said then took a sip of tea. "Eli was thinking about taking time off work to drive you both back here but Bethany managed to talk him round. We didn't tell the children but they could tell something was wrong"

"If Reid is feeling better on the weekend we might be able to come up and see you guys. It'll make the kids feel a bit better" Emily offered after glancing back to check on her fiancé again.

"I'd like that" Mary stated brightly. "If you drive up in the morning I'll be able to fix a big lunch for the whole family"

"How's that sound, Spencer?" Emily asked.

Reid looked up from the window and smiled softly. "Can't wait" He said before looking back out the window.

Emily smiled to herself then turned her eyes back to the road. "I'll call you when we get back home, Mary. If everything goes well we'll be at your house by ten o'clock Saturday"

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Emily guided Reid up the apartment steps and inside, one hand on his back almost every second. Once inside, Reid started for the kitchen but was manoeuvred back into the living room and onto the sofa.

"Can I have some coffee?" Reid asked after sighing and getting comfortable on the chair. "It's not going to make my headache any worse" He added when Emily shook her head to which he got a doubtful look.

"There's too much caffeine in it… plus the amount of sugar you add will probably give you a sugar crash from hell when the affects wear off" She said while sitting down next to Reid and entwining their hands. "You're lucky I haven't put you to bed yet" She added in a teasing voice.

"You do that and I'll call Mary" Reid warned before planting a soft kiss on Emily's lips.

"You really think that's a good decision? I'm pretty sure she'd take my side on this" Emily said then kissed him back with a smile tugging at her lips. When Reid leaned closer she put her hands to his chest then broke the kiss and pushed the hair out of his face. "You should be resting"

Reid let out a groan and sat back in the chair, his head rolling back from the idea of sitting at home for the next five days with Emily fussing. "Can I at least have some work sent back here?" He asked while using the most innocent look he could manage.

"No way" Emily whispered then patted his chest and hopped off the sofa.

"But I don't have anything else to do till Saturday" Reid whined from his seat, not daring to get up as she made her way into the kitchen.

"You fractured your skull, remember? You're not _meant_ to be doing anything, that's the point of having the week off"

Reid sighed again and closed his eyes. This was going to be one long week.

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"Someone's pulled up outside" Scarlett murmured with her eyes fixed on the vehicle.

"Is it them?" The youngest of Bethany's sons, Tommy, questioned while craning his neck to catch a glimpse out the window.

Scarlett gently pushed Oliver to the side of the sofa then peered out at the figures in the SUV and scrunched her eyebrows. "It's too dark to see inside but it looks like their car" She answered.

Tommy and Joe immediately sprung from their seats and crowded round the window to get a peek. Andy got up a few moments later, chuckled at his siblings and cousins then made his way out of the room and to the kitchen. "Emily and Spencer are here" He stated while hanging off the doorframe, a small smile playing on his lips.

Mary, Eli and Bethany quickly ended their conversation, got to their feet and strolled back to the living room with Andy leading the way.

All three adults couldn't help but grin when they saw the assortment of kids crowding round the window. "Come here, buddy" Eli mumbled as he pulled Oliver from the heap and deposited him back on his feet.

"Alright guys, off the back of the sofa. You're gonna break grandma's house at this rate" Bethany added and patted her sons' backs. Both boys sighed dramatically then slid down the sofa and crossed their arms.

"They're getting out of the car!" Scarlett called which made all three younger boys dive for the window again. Eli smiled and rolled his eyes then dispersed the group and sat down at the sofa.

Emily opened the front door like she had the previous week and stepped inside. "We're here!" She called into the oddly quiet house. "Anyone home?" She asked as Reid joined her side, slowly opening the living room door only to be ambushed by Oliver, Tommy and Joe.

Emily scooped up Oliver, placed a kiss on his forehead then placed him back on the floor before finding a seat next to Eli. Reid smiled broadly at the family then waded his way through the kids to sit next to Emily who already had Scarlett scrambling onto her lap.

Oliver glanced over to his sister then nodded determinedly to himself and began crawling onto Reid's lap. "Spencer isn't very well, Oliver. You can't sit on him today" Mary said, her eyes wavering over Reid for a moment.

"It's fine" Reid said with a small smile, this was his first trip out of the apartment since he'd got back from Florida and he intended to enjoy every moment of it. Oliver grinned widely then settled himself on Reid's lap with a look of pride.

"How's your head?" Bethany questioned as she passed a coffee cup to the male profiler then to Emily and the other adults.

"It isn't too bad now, I get to go back to work on Monday" Reid answered with a noticeable amount of enjoyment in the idea of being back in the office soon.

"You really are a workaholic, Spence" Eli teased before taking a sip of his hot drink.

There was a small pause in which Mary smiled to herself and decide now was her moment. "So, when are you planning on giving me great grandchildren?"

**Sorry for skipping last week's chapter, I planned on posting this but I've had such bad writer's block I only finished this chapter on Sunday and decided to wait a couple of days to post on Tuesday like usual. It would be typical of Mary to already be waiting for the rush of babies but how do you think Reid and Emily will react? I've been trying to work out how long (or short) the space of time should be until they get married but I'm still not sure. How soon would you like them to get married? Thanks for reading, please review if you've got time!**


	19. a troubled cousin

Emily felt her cheeks turn a hot shade of pink which made Eli and Mary chuckle. Scarlett turned her head to stare up at her eldest cousin for the answer which embarrassed the female profiler even further. When she turned to Reid for moral support she had to stifle her own laugh, his cheeks had turned the darkest shade of red she'd seen in the whole time she had known him.

"We haven't really thought about that kinda stuff yet" Emily explained in a voice almost as quiet as a whisper. "We're just trying to get through the wedding and all that before we try and complicate it anymore"

Mary nodded with an understanding look although there was something twinkling in her eyes that told both profilers she was planning something mischievous involving them. "Well, when you do get down to business remember to keep me in the loop" She said and winked which made Eli and Andy snort with laughter.

"Mom, why don't we go check on lunch?" Bethany asked while standing then led the eldest woman out of the room to protect the couple from any further embarrassment.

Eli waited a few moments then stood and heaved Oliver off of Reid's lap. "Go play, kids" He instructed while rounding them out and guiding them out the living room door.

Andy paused by the door and mumbled something to Eli who looked at the younger boy with a strange expression. "Go on, it'll be fine" The profilers heard Eli murmur before Andy reluctantly left and the older man sat back down on one of the sofas.

"What was that about?" Emily asked after she heard the door to the backyard close behind Andy.

"I don't really know" Eli said in a distant voice. "He's been acting strange since that whole thing with James" He added after pulling his thoughts back to the room. "It's like his fraternal instinct kicked in all of a sudden"

The cogs in both agents' minds started turning as they tried and failed not to profile the teenager. "He's always seemed a little over protective over his brothers and cousins though, hasn't he?" Emily asked after thinking back to the first time she met the boys.

"He took his job as the big brother pretty seriously" Eli admitted. "If anything, it got worse when Scarlett was born. He treats her and Oliver just like his own siblings… I thought things would have calmed down once Bethany had Ella but it's like with every new baby that comes it adds more stress"

Reid noticed Emily subconsciously picking her fingernails, most likely from the stressful thought of Andy struggling, so wrapped a hand round hers and smiled softly at her. Emily returned the gesture then looked back at Eli. "Reid or I could talk to him if you think it might help" She offered in a kind voice. "He's been through a lot even in the short time we've known him and it can't be easy on him"

"You'll have to talk to Bethany about that" Eli stated. "Andy needs all the help he can get at the moment but I don't think she wants to admit there's a problem" He explained in a soft voice, he knew his little sister better than most and she'd be reluctant to admit she needed any help especially if it concerned the son she relied most on.

Eli let a short time of quiet build before clearing his throat and changing the subject to something less serious. "How's your team?"

"Insane, as always" Emily answered with a small smile. "We've had Garcia and Morgan round almost every day after work just so they can check on Reid"

Eli smiled widely at that comment; it wasn't hard to believe either. From what he'd heard of the events on the previous Saturday, Reid had got bashed up pretty bad and it didn't take a genius to notice Reid was the kid of the team. "So, it's back to work on Monday then?"

Reid nodded vigorously with an obviously pleased look. The male profiler was about to explain what he had planned when a yell rang out from the kitchen.

"Lunch is ready!" Bethany called, her voice echoing round the house. The back door swung open and five pairs of feet stumbled down the hall. "Wash your hands then go to the dining room" The woman instructed while guiding the children down the corridor.

"And that's our queue to get some grub" Eli muttered with a smirk as he stood and led the couple to the large dining room.

xxxxxxxxxx

Reid slid into the front passenger seat with a sigh and leant his head back. Emily joined him a few moments later and glanced over to the man. "You look tired" She stated while gently brushing the hair out of his face.

Reid smiled softly and glanced down at his hands. He always liked spending time with Emily's family but they could be slightly overwhelming after having five days of peaceful rest.

Emily watched him for a few moments then turned, started the car and pulled out of the road. "Mary said we could come up again tomorrow but I thought you might want to rest up before you get back to work on Monday" Emily said, her eyes still on the road.

"You can still drive up and see her tomorrow" Reid reminded her in a thick, tired voice. "I'll be fine on my own for the day"

Emily glanced over at her fiancé and noticed his eyes were struggling to stay open, the motion of the car almost lulling him to sleep. "Try and get some rest, we'll be home soon"

Reid reluctantly closed his eyes and was asleep in minutes. A little less than three hours later Emily was guiding the man, who had only woken up a few moments earlier, up the stairs, through the apartment door and into the bedroom.

Reid crawled into his much needed bed and quickly closed his eyes. Emily slipped on her pajama shorts and one of Reid's sweaters then climbed into bed. "Goodnight, Spencer"


End file.
